Legends of old Honolulu

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Legends of old Honolulu collected ar

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Cornell University
Library

The original of this book is in
the Cornell University Library.

There are no known copyright restrictions in
the United States on the use of the text.

http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924029908807

LOTUS LILIES AND COCOANUTS— WAIKIKI

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LEGENDS
OF OLD HONOLULU

Collected and Translated from the Hawaiian'

BY

W. D. WESTERVELT

AUTHOR OF " LEGENDS OF MAUI, A DEMI-GOD OF POLYNESIA" AND
*' TALES TOLD AROUND A POI-BOWl"

BOSTON, U.S.A.
PRESS OF GEO. H. ELLIS CO.

LONDON

CONSTABLE & CO., LTD.

10 Orange St., Leicester Sq., W.C.

1915
3

Copyright, iqis, by

William Drake Westeevelt

Honolulu, H.T.

/\. 2)0SoS"S

'>

FOREWORD

The legends of a people are of interest to the
scholar, the thinker, and the poet.

The legends tell us of the struggles, the tri-
umphs, and the wanderings of the people, of
their thoughts, their aspirations; in short, they
give us a twilight history of the race.

As the geologist finds in the rocks the dim rec-
ords of the beginnings of life on our planet, the
first foreshadowings of the mighty forests that
have since covered the lands, and of the count-
less forms of animal life that have at last culmi-
nated in Man, so does the historian discover in
the legends of a people the dim traces of its
origin and development till it comes out in the
stronger light of the later day.

So it is with the legends of the Hawaiians, or
of the Polynesian race. We see them, very in-
distinctly, starting from some distant home in
Asia, finally reaching the Pacific Ocean, and then
gradually spreading abroad over its islands till
they dominate a large portion of its extent.

In bringing together this collection of Hawai-
ian legends, the author of this little book has
conferred a great favor upon all those residents

iv FOREWORD

of Hawaii and of those visitors to its shores who
may take an interest in its original inhabitants,
once an exceedingly numerous people, but now
a scattering remnant only. To that native race
this little book will be at once a joy and a sorrow;
to the heart of the haole, who has lived among
them, known them intimately for thirty years
or more (as has the writer of this Foreword),
and learned to love them, this collection of the
legends of old Honolulu brings a warm "Aloha!"

Geo. H. Barton,

DifKtor, Teachers* School of Science, Boston, Mass,

Formerly Professor of Geology

at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

June 4, igis.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTEE PAGE

Introduction vii

I. Legendary Places in Honolulu ... i

II. Wakea the Polynesian lo

III. Legend of the Bread-eruit Tree . . 23

IV. The Gods who found Water .... 32
V. The Water of Life of Ka.-ne .... 38

VI. The God of ,Pakaka Temple 47

VII. Mamala the Surf-rider $2

Vni. A Shark punished at Waikiki . . -55

IX. The Legendary Origin of Kapa . 59

X. Creation of Man 70

XI. The Chief with the Wonderful Ser-
vants 7S

XII. The Great Dog Ku 82

XIII. The Cannibal Dog-man go

XIV. The Canoe of the Dragon 97

XV. The Wonderful Shell 105

XVI. The Ghost Dance on Punchbowl . . 112

XVII. The Bird-man of Nuuanu Valley . . 121

XVIII. The Owls of Honolulu 127

XIX. The Two Fish from Tahiti 138

XX. Iwa, the Notable Thief of Oahu . . 148

XXI. PiKOi THE Rat-killee 157

XXII. Kawelo 173

XXIII. "Chief Man-eater" 189

XXIV. Lepe-a-moa 204

XXV. Kamapuaa Legends 246

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

Lotus Lilies and Cocoanuts ... Frontispiece

OPPOSITE PAGE

Honolulu Harbor i8

Le Passage des Brisants 52

Moanalua .... 94

NuuANU Pali 122

Poi Pounder 144

Where Pikoi hunted Rats 166

The Oldest Resident at Waikiki 188

Hat and Mat Maker ... . . . .204

Haliewa and Waianae Mountains 220

Kakuhihewa's Lands 228

Rice and Cocoanut-teees 258

Map or Oahu 278

Some illustrations are from the author's own snapshots.

INTRODUCTION

The ancient Hawaiians were not inventive.
They did not study new methods of house-
building or farming. They did not seek new tools
or new weapons. They could live comfortably
as their ancestors lived. But they were im-
aginative and therefore told many a wonderful
tale of gods and goblins and men. Some of
these stories were centuries old, and were
closely similar to legends told in Tahiti, Samoa,
Fiji, New Zealand and many other islands of the
Pacific Ocean. Most of them are of course
limited to the locality from which they come.
The Honolulu legends belong to this class al-
most entirely, although a student of Polynesian
mythology will find many traces of connecting
links with the mythology of far distant islands.

The legends of Old Honolulu have been com-
piled from stories told by the old Hawaiians.
Some of them came from those still living, but
many have been found in the files of papers
published from 1850 to 1870.

The first alphabet for Hawaiians was pre-
pared in 182 1. The Hawaiians were taught to

viii INTRODUCTION

read and write their histories and ancient stories
as rapidly as possible. This was the result of
the labors of the American missionaries. Some
of the missionaries, notably Mr. Dibble, sent
their pupils out to write, down and preserve the
old legends and traditions. Between thirty and
forty years after the first lesson in the alphabet
the Hawaiians were writing articles for papers
published regularly in their own language — such
as Ka Hoe Hawaii {The Hawaiian Flag), Ke
Kuokoa {The Independent) , Ka Hoku Pakipika
{The Star of the Pacific). These were followed
by many papers down to the present time edited
solely by Hawaiians.

Careful research through these papers brings
many stories of the past into the hands of stu-
dents. It is chiefly in this way that these legends
of Old Honolulu have been gathered together.
This is the result of several years' work of note-
taking and compilation.

These legends belong of course to Honolulu
people, and will be chiefly interesting to them
and those who are acquainted with the city
and the island of Oahu. It is hoped that the
folk-lore lovers the world over wiU also enjoy
comparing these tales with those of other lands.

Sometimes these old stories have been touched
up and added to by the Hawaiian story-teller
who has had contact with foreign literature, and

INTRODUCTION ix

the reader may trace the influence of modern
ideas; but this does not occur frequently.

The legend of " Chief Man-eater " comes the
nearest to historic times. Cannibalism was not
a custom among the ancient Hawaiians. These
are unquestionably sporadic cases handed down
in legends.

These legends have been printed in the follow-
ing papers and magazines: The Friend, The Para-
dise of the Pacific, The Mid-Pacific, Thrum's
Hawaiian Annual, Historical Society Reports,
The Advertiser and Star Bulletin, published in
Honolulu.

PRONUNCIATION

Readers will have little diflSculty in pronouncing names
if they remember two rules: —

1. No syllable ends in a consonant, e.g., Ho-no-lu-lu,
not Hon-o-lulu.

2. Give vowels the German soimd rather than the
English, e.g., "e" equals "a," and "i" equals "e," and
"a" is sounded like "a" in "father."

LEGENDARY PLACES IN HONOLULU

HO-NO-LU-LU is a name made by the union
of the two words "Hono" and "lulu."
Some say it means "Sheltered Hollow." The
old Hawaiians say that "Hono" means "abun-
dance" and "lulu" means "calm," or "peace," or
"abimdance of peace." The navigator who gave
the definition "Fair Haven" was out of the way,
inasmuch as the name does not belong to a
harbor, but to a district having "abundant
calm," or "a pleasant slope of restful land."

"Honolulu" was probably a name given to a
very rich district of farm land near what is now
known as the junction of Liliha and School
Streets, because its chief was Honolulu, one of
the high chiefs of the time of Kakuhihewa,
according to the legends. Kamakau, the Ha-
waiian historian, describes this farm district thus:
"Honolulu was a small district, a pleasant land
looking toward the west, — a fat land, with flow-
ing streams and springs of water, abundant
water for taro patches. Mists resting inland

2 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

breathed softly on the flowers of the hala-
tree."

Kakuhihewa was a king of Oahu m the long,
long ago, and was so noted that for centuries the
island Oahu has been named after him "The
Oahu of Kakuhihewa." He divided the bland
among his favorite chiefs and officers, who gave
their names to the places received by them from
the king. Thus what is now known as Hono-
lulu was until the time of Kamehameha I.,
about the year 1800, almost always mentioned
as "Kou," after the chief Kou, who was an
"Ilamuku," or "Marshal," under the king Ka-
kuhihewa. "Kou" appears to have been a small
district, or, rather, a chief's group of houses
and grounds, loosely defined as lying between
Hotel Street and the sea and between Nuuanu
Avenue and Alakea Street.

Ke-kai-o-Mamala was the name of the surf
which came in the outer entrance of the harbor
of Kou. It was named after Mamala, a chiefess
who loved to play konane (Hawaiian checkers),
drink awa, and ride the surf. Her first husband
was the shark-man Ouha, who later became a
shark-god, Uving as a great shark outside the
reefs of Waikiki and Koko Head. Her second
husband was the chief Hono-kau-pu, to whom
the king gave the land east of the land of Kou.
This land afterward bore the name of its chief,

LEGENDARY PLACES IN HONOLULU 3

Hono-kau-pu. In this section of what is now
called Honolulu were several very interesting
places.

Kewalo was the place where the Kauwa, a
very low class of servants, were drowned by
holding their heads under water, according to the
law known as "Ke-kai-he-hee." "Kai" means
"sea" and "hee" means "surf-riding" or "sliding
along." The law meant the sliding of the ser-
vants under the waves of the sea. Kewalo was
also the nesting-groxmd of the owl who was the
cause of a battle between the owls and the king
Kakuhihewa, wherein the owls from Kauai to
Hawaii gathered together and defeated the forces
of the king.

Toward the mountains above Kewalo lies
Makiki plain, the place where rats abounded,
living in a dense growth of small trees and
shrubs. This was a famous place for hunting
rats with bows and arrows.

Ula-kua was the place where idols were made.
This was near the lumber-yards at the foot of
the present Richards Street.

Ka-wai-a-hao, the site of the noted old native
church, was the location of a fine fountain of
water belonging to a chief named Hao. It
means "The water belonging to Hao."

Ke-kau-kukui was close to Ula-kua, and was
the place where small konane (checker) boards

4 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

were laid. These were flat stones with rows of
little holes in which a game was played with
black and white stones. Here Mamala and
Oiiha drank awa and played konane. Here also
Kekuanaoa, father of Kamehameha V., built his
home.

In Hono-kau-pu was one of the noted places
for rolling the flat-sided stone disc known as
"the maika stone." This was not far from
Richards and Queen Streets, although the great
"Ulu-maika" place for the gathering of the
chiefs was in Kou.

Ka-ua-nono-ula, the "rain with the red
rainbow," was the place in this district for the
"wai-lua," or ghosts, to gather for their nightly
games and sports. Under the shadows of the
trees, near the present Hawaiian Board Mission
rooms at the junction of Alakea and Merchant
Streets, these ghosts made night a source of
dread to all the people.

Another place in Honolulu for the gathering
of ghosts was at the corner of King Street and
Nuuanu Avenue.

Puu-o-wai-na, or Punchbowl, was a "hill of
sacrifice" or "offering," according to the mean-
ing of the native words, and not "Wine-hill" as
many persons have said. Kamakau, a native
historian of nearly fifty years ago, says: "For-
merly there was an 'imu ahi,' a fire oven, for

LEGENDARY PLACES IN HONOLULU 5

burning men on this hill. Chiefs and common
people were burned as sacrifices in that noted
place. Men were brought for sacrifice from
Kauai, Oahu, and Maui, but not from Hawaii.
People could be burned in this place for violat-
ing the tabus of the tabu divine chiefs."

"The great stone on the top of Punchbowl
Hill was the place for burning men."

Part of an ancient chant concerning "Punch-
bowl" reads as follows:

"O the raging tabu fire of Keaka,
O the high ascending fire of the sacrifice I
Tabu fire, scattered ashes.
Tabu fire, spreading heat."

Nuuanu Valley, inland from Kou, was full of
interesting legendary places. The most interest-
ing, however, is the Httle valley made by a
mountain spur pushing its way out from the
Kalihi foothills into the larger valley, and bear-
ing the name "Waolani," the wilderness home
of the gods, and now the home of Honolulu's
Country Club. This region belonged to the
eepa people. These were almost the same as
the ill-shaped, deformed or injured gnomes of
European fairy tales. In this beautiful httle
valley which opened into Nuuanu Valley was
the heiau Waolani built for Ka-hanai-a-ke-Akua
(The chief brought up by the gods), long before

6 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

the days of Kakuhihewa. It was said that the
two divine caretakers of this chief were Kahano
and Newa, and that Kahano was the god who
lay down on the ocean, stretching out his hands
until one rested on Kahiki (Tahiti or some other
foreign land) and the other rested on Oahu.
Over his arms as a great bridge walked the
Menehunes, or fairy people, to Oahu. They
came to be servants for this young chief who
was in the care of the gods. They built fish-
ponds and temples. They lived in Manoa Val-
ley and on Punchbowl Hill. Ku-leo-nui (Ku
with the loud voice) was their master. He
could call them any evening. His voice was
heard over aU the island. They came at once
and almost invariably finished each task before
the rays of the rising sun drove them to their
hidden resorts in forest or wilderness.

Waolani heiau was the place where the noted
legendary musical shell "Kiha-pu" had its first
home — from which it was stolen by Kapuni and
carried to its historic home in Waipio Valley,
Hawaii. Below Waolani Heights, the Mene-
hunes built the temple Ka-he-iki for the child
nourished by the gods, and here the priest and
prophet lived who founded the priest-clan called
"Mo-o-kahuna," one of the most sacred clans of
the ancient Hawaiians. Not far from this temple
was the scene of the dramatic plea of an owl

LEGENDARY PLACES IN HONOLULU 7

for her eggs when taken from Kewalo by a man
who had found her nest. This is part of the
story of the battle of the owls and the king.

Nearer the bank of the Nuuanu stream was
the great bread-fruit tree into which a woman
turned her husband by magic power when he
was about to be slain and offered as sacrifice to
the gods. This tree became one of the most
powerful wooden gods of the Hawaiians, being
preserved, it is said, even to the times of Kame-
hameha I.

At the foot of Nuuanu Valley is Pu-iwa, a
place by the side of the Nuuanu stream. Here
a father, Maikoha, told his daughters to bury
his body, that from it might come the wauke-
trees, from which kapa cloth has been poimded
ever since.

From this place, the legend says, the wauke-
trees spread over all the islands.

In the bed over which the Nuuanu waters
pour is the legendary stone called "The Canoe
of the Dragon." This lies among the boulders
in the stream not far from the old Kaumakapili
Church premises.

In Nuuanu Valley was the fierce conflict be-
tween Kawelo, the strong man from Kauai,
assisted by two friends, and a band of robbers.
In this battle torn-up trees figxired as mighty
war-clubs.

8 LEGENDS OP HONOLULU

These are legendary places which border Kou,
the ancient Honolidu. Besides these are many
more spots of great interest, as in Waikiki and
Manoa Valley, but these lie beyond the boun-
daries of Kou and ancient Honolulu. In Kou
itself was the noted Pakaka Temple. This
temple was standing on the western side of the
foot of Fort Street long after the fort was built
after which the street was named. It was just
below the fort. Pakaka was owned by Kinau,
the mother of Kamehameha V. It was a heiau,
or temple, built before the time of Kakuhihewa.
In this temple, the school of the priests of Oahu
had its headquarters for centuries. The walls of
the temple were adorned all around with heads
of men offered in sacrifice.

Kou was probably the most noted konane
(or checker) board place on Oahu. There was a
famous large stone almost opposite the site of
the temple. Here the chiefs gathered for many
a game. Property and even lives were freely
gambled away. The Spreckels Building covers
the site of this famous gambling resort.

One of the finest "Ulu-maika" places on the
islands was the one belonging to Kou. This was
a hard, smooth track about twelve feet wide
extending from the corner on Merchant ^nd
Fort Streets now occupied by the Bank of
Hawaii along the seaward side of Merchant

LEGENDARY PLACES IN HONOLULU 9

Street to the place beyond Nuuanu Avenue
known as the old iron works at Ula-ko-heo. It
was used by the highest chiefs for rolling the
stone disc known as "the maika stone." Kame-
hameha I. is recorded as having used this maika
track.

lo LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

II
WAKEA THE POLYNESIAN

THE fountain source of the Mississippi has
been discovered and rediscovered. The
origin of the Polynesian race has been a subject
for discovery and rediscovery. The older theory
of Malay origin as set forth in the earlier ency-
clopaedias is now recognized as untenable. The
Malays followed the Polynesians rather than pre-
ceded them. The comparative study of Poly-
nesian legends leads almost irresistibly to the
conclusion that the Polynesians were Aryans,
coming at least from India to Malasia and pos-
sibly coming from Arabia, as Fornander of
Hawaii so earnestly argues. It is now accepted
that the Polynesians did not originate from
Malay parentage, and that they did occupy for
an indefinite period the region around the Simda
Straits from Java to the Molucca Islands, and
also that the greater portion of the Polynesians
was driven out from this region and scattered
over the Pacific in the early part of the Christian
Era. The legends that cluster aroimd Wakea
have greatly aided in making plain some things
concerning the disposition of the Polynesians.
By sifting the legends of Hawaii-loa we learn

WAKEA THE POLYNESIAN ii

how the great voyager becomes one of the first
Vikings of the Pacific. His home at last is found
to be Gilolo of the Molucca Islands. From the
legends we become acquainted with Wakea (pos-
sibly meaning "noonday," or "the white time")
and his wife Papa ("earth"), the most widely
remembered of all the ancestors of the Polynesian
race. Their names are foimd in the legends of
the most prominent island groups, and the high-
est places are granted them among the demi-gods
and sometimes among the chief deities. Their
deeds belong to the most ancient times — the
creation or discovery of the various islands of
the Pacific world. Those who worshipped Wakea
and Papa are found in such widely separated
locahties that it must be considered impossible
for even a demi-god to have had so many homes.
Atea, or Wakea, was one of the highest gods of
the Marquesas Islands. Here his name means
"light." The Marquesans evidently look back
of all their present history and locate Atea in
the ancient homeland. Vatea in the Society Isl-
ands, Wakea in Hawaii and New Zealand, Makea,
Vakea and Akea are phonetic variations of the
one name when written down by the students
who made a written form for words repeated
from generation to generation by word of mouth
alone. Even under the name "Wakea" this
ancient chief is known by most widely separated

12 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

islands. The only reasonable explanation for
this widespread reference to Wakea is that he
was an ancestor belonging in common to all the
scattered Polynesians. It seems as if there
must have been a period when Wakea was king
or chief of a united people. He must have
been of great ability and probably was the great
king of the United Polynesians. If this were
the fact it would naturally result that his memory
would be carried wherever the dispersed race
might go.

In the myths and legends of the Hervey Isl-
ands, Vatea is located near the beginning of
their national existence. First of all the Her-
vey Islanders place Te-ake-ia-roe (The root of
all existence). Then there came upon the an-
cient world Te Vaerua (The breath, or The
life). Then came the god time — Te Manawa
roa (The long ago). Then their creation legends
locates Vari, a woman whose name means "the
beginning," a name curiously similar to the He-
brew word "bara," "to create," as in Gen. i. i.
Her children were torn out of her breasts and
given homes in the ancient mist-land, with which,
without any preparation or introduction, Ha-
waiki is confused in a part of the legend. It has
been suggested that this Hawaiki is Savaii of the
Samoan Islands, from which the Hervey Islands
may have had their origin in a migration of the

WAKEA THE POLYNESIAN 13

Middle Ages. One of the children of Vari dwelt
in "a sacred tabu island" and became the god of
the fish. Another sought a home "where the red
parrots' feathers were gathered" — the royal
feathers for the high chief's garments. Another
became the echo-god and lived in "the hollow
gray rocks." Another as the god of the winds
went far out "on the deep ocean." Another, a
girl, found a home, "the silent land," with her
mother. Wakea, or Vatea, the eldest of this
family, remained in Ava-iki (Hawaii), the ances-
tral home — "the bright land of Vatea." Here
he married Papa. This Ava-iki was to the Her-
veyites of later generations the fiery volcanic
under-world. When the long sea-voyages ceased
after some centuries, the islanders realized that
Ava-iki was very closely connected with their
history. They had but a misty idea of far-off
lands, and they did know of earthquakes and
lava caves and volcanic fires — so they located
Ava-iki as the secret world imder their islands.
This under-world with legendary inconsistency
was located on the ocean's surface, when it be-
came necessary to have their islands discovered
by the descendants of Vatea. According to the
Hervey legends, Vatea is the father of Lono and
Kanaloa, two of the great gods of the Polynesians.
They are twins. Lono has three sons, whom
he sends away. They sail out through many

14 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

heavens and from Ava-iki "pull up" out of the
deep ocean two of the Hervey Islands. The
natives of the Hervey group supposed that the
horizon around their group enclosed the world.
Beyond this world line were heavens after heav-
ens. A daring voyager by sailing through the
sky-line would break out from this world into
an unknown world or a heaven bounded by new
horizons. Strangers thus "broke through" from
heaven, sometimes making use of the path of
the sim. Thus about twenty-five generations
ago Raa (possibly Laa, the Hawaiian) broke
down the horizon's bars and established a line
of kings in Raiatea. So also when Captain Cook
came to the Hervey Islands the natives said:
"Whence comes this strange thing? It has
climbed up [come up forcibly] from the thin
land the home of Wakea." He had pierced the
western heavens from which their ancestors
had come.

When the sons of Lono unexpectedly saw a
speck of land far away over the sea, they cried
out that here was a place created for them by
their deified ancestors. As they came nearer
they "pulled up" the islands until they grew to
be high mountains rising from the deep waters.
In these mountains they found the lava caves
and deep chasms which they always said ex-
tended down under the seas back to Ava-iki.

WAKEA THE POLYNESIAN 15

They made their caves a passageway for spirits
to the fairy home of the dead, and therefore into
certain chasms cast the bodies of the dead, that
the spirit might more easily find the path to the
mider-world.

Vatea was a descendant of "the long ago,"
according to the Hervey legend. Wakea of
Hawaii was a son of Kahiko, "the ancient."
Wakea's home is more definitely stated in the
Hawaiian than in the Hervey legends. He
lived in 0-Lolo-i-mehani, or The Red Lolo, a
name confidently referred by Fomander in "The
Polynesian Race" to Gilolo, the principal island
of the Moluccas. The Red Lolo, as suggested
by Fomander, would refer not alone to volcanic
action and its decaying debris, but would fittingly
designate the largest and most important island
of the group. The fire bursting from many vol-
canoes in the region of the Svmda Straits was
"royal" to the beholders, who felt that divine
power was present in the mysterious red flames.
Hence all the Polynesian tribes invested the
red color with especial dignity as a mark of
royalty and pre-eminence. It was on the ban-
ners allowed only to chiefs when their boats
sailed away to visit distant lands. It was the
color of the war cloaks of chiefly warriors. In
the recent days of the monarchy of Hawaii, the
richest crimson was the only color allowed in

l6 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

upholstering the great throne room. Gilolo
might worthily bear the name "The Red Lolo"
in Hawaiian story. Here Hawaii-loa, the first
of the Polynesian Vikings, had his home. Here
the Chieftainess Oupe, a PoljTiesian princess,
dwelt. In 0-Lolo Wakea married the grand-
daughter of Oupe, whose name was Papa. She
is almost as widely known in legends as her hus-
band. Papa was said to be a tabued descendant
of Hawaii-loa and therefore superior in rank td
Wakea. Papa is described as "very fair and
almost white." Her name means "earth," and
Wakea's name might mean "noonday." This,
with the many experiences through which they
both passed, would lay the foxmdation for a very
pretty sun-myth, but we cannot avoid the human
aspect of the legends and give them both a more
worthy position as ancestors or scattered people.
Kahiko, the ancient, is recorded as having had
three sons, from whom descended the chiefs, the
priests and the common people, — the husband-
men, — almost a Shem, Ham and Japheth di-
vision. Other legends, however, give Kahiko
only two sons, the eldest, Wakea, having power
both as chief and priest. All the legends unite
in making Wakea the head of the class of
chiefs. This would very readily explain the
high place held by Wakea throughout Polyne-
sia and also the jealous grasp upon genealogical

WAKEA THE POLYNESIAN 17

records maintained by the royal families of the
Pacific.

Wakea and Papa are credited with being the
creators of many island kingdoms of the Pacific.
Sometimes the credit is given partly to a mis-
chievous fisherman-god, Maui, after whom one of
the Hawaiian Islands is named. One of the
Hawaiian legends goes back to the creation or
discovery of Hawaii and ascribes the creation of
the world to Wakea and Papa. The two were liv-
ing together in "Po" — "darkness," or "chaos."
Papa brought into existence a gourd calabash in-
cluding bowl and cover, with the pulp and seeds
inside. Wakea threw the cover upward and it
became heaven. From the pulp and seeds he
made the sky and the sim and moon and stars.
From the juice of the pulp he made the rain.
The bowl he fashioned into the land and sea.
Other legends limit the creative labors of Wakea
to the Hawaiian group. With the aid of Papa
he established a portion of the islands; then dis-
cord entered the royal family and a separation
was decided upon. The Hawaiian custom has
always been for either chief or chieftainess to
exercise the right to divorce and to contract the
marriage ties. Wakea is said to have divorced
Papa by spitting in her face, according to an an-
cient custom. Wakea selected a chieftainess
named Hina, from whom the island Molokai

l8 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

(the leper island) received the name "Molokai-
hina" — the ancient name of the island. Morotai
was also an island lying near Gilolo in the Mo-
lucca group, and might be the place from which
Wakea secured his bride. Papa selected as her
new husband a chief named Lua. The ancient
name of Oahu (the island upon which Honolulu is
located) was "Oahu-a-lua" (The Oahu of Lua).
One of the Celebes Islands bears a name for one
of its districts very similar to Oahu — "Ouadju."
Papa seems to have been partially crazed by her
divorce. She marries many husbands. She
voyages back and forth between distant islands.
In an ancient island, Tahiti, she bears children
from whom the Tahitians claim descent. In
the Celebes she and her people experience a fam-
ine and she is compelled to send to 0-Lolo for
food. In New Zealand legend she becomes the
wife of Langi (Hawaiian Lani, or heaven), a imion
of "earth" and "heaven." They have six
children. Four of these are the chief gods of
ancient Hawaii: Ka-ne, "light"; Ku, "the
builder"; Lono, "sound"; and Kanaloa. Two
of the children are not named in Hawaiian an-
nals, unless it might be that one, Tawhirri,
should be represented in Kahili, the tall standard
limited for centuries as the insignia of very high
chief families. The other name, " Haumia,"
might possibly be Haumea, a second name given

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WAKEA THE POLYNESIAN 19

to Papa in the legends. The Maoris of New Zea-
land deify all of these six sons of Lani and Papa.

Ka-ne was "father of forests." He was very
strong. In ancient days the sky was not sep-
arated from the earth. He Ufted up the heavens
and pushed down the earth — and thus made
space for all things to grow. It was while the
sky rested its full weight upon the earth that
the leaves started into life, but were flat and thin
because there was no chance to become plump
and full Uke the fruit which came later. Here
is the foundation for another sim-myth of the
Pacific, wherein it might be said light came and
separating darkness from the earth brought
life into the world. Light could well be "the
father of forests." The second son was Tawhirri,
"the father of winds and storms." A part of
his name was "matea," which might possibly
be referred to Wakea. He dwelt in the skies
with his father Lani.

The third son was Lono, who was "the father
of all cultivated food."

The fourth was Haumia, "the father of im-
cultivated food" — such food as grew wild in the
forests or among the herbs or in the midst of the
edible sea-mosses.

The fifth son was Kanaloa, "the father of all
reptiles and fishes," at first dwelling in Hawaiki
on the land with all his descendants.

20 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

The sixth son was Ku "with the red face,"
"the father of fierce or cruel men." Ku was
easily made angry, and after a time waged war
against his brothers and their followers. There
was great destruction, but Ku could not win the
victory alone. He was compelled to call upon
Tawhirri, "the father of winds and storms."
Fierce men and fierce storms made it difficult
for the remainder of the household to escape.
The "father of forests" bowed to the earth
imder the terrific force of hurricanes and torna-
does. The "fathers of foods" buried themselves
deep in the ground to escape destruction at the
hands of cruel mankind and tempestuous nature.
Then came the bitter conflict between the family
of Kanaloa and their combined enemies. Cruel
men were without pity in the blows dealt against
their inferior kindred. At last the "fish" fled
to the sea and sought safety in distant waters,
finding homes where the children of Ku did not
care to follow. The "reptiles" fled inland to
the secret recesses of the mountains and forests.
There they have kept their wild savage life
through the centuries even to the present day,
as in Sumatra, Borneo, the Celebes, the Philip-
pines and other sections of the region around
the Sunda Straits. They are not now ocean
lovers any more than in the ages past. They do
not "go down to the sea in ships." Neither do

WAKEA THE POLYNESIAN 21

they love the coming of Dutch or Spanish or
American civilization. They seem to have an
hereditary dislike for strange and cruel men.

The sea rovers became great wanderers, car-
rying with them the name of "Kanaloa" and
planting it in almost all the Pacific islands to
be worshipped as one of the supreme gods.

How much these domestic troubles surround-
ing the name of Papa may have had to do with
an early migration of the Polynesians we do not
know. It may be that while the household was
engaged in war the Malays came from the
north and with tornado power scattered the
divided family, compelling swift flight to distant
lands. It is now understood that the great dis-
persion of the Polynesians came from the incur-
sions of the powerful Malays during the second
century of the Christian Era. Some of the
Hawaiian and New Zealand legends imply that
for a number of generations a part of the Poly-
nesians remained in the old family home, Ha-
waiki. The New Zealanders enter quite fully
into the accoimt of the troubles attending the
coming of their ancestors from Hawaiki. They
mention battles and domestic discords. They
tell of the long journeys and wearisome efforts
put forth until their ancestors find Northern
New Zealand, Ke-ao-tea-roa (The great white
land). This was pulled up out of the sea for

22 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

them by Maui with his wonderful fish-hook.
This story of the magic fishing of the disobedient
and mischievous Maui is common in Polynesia.

After the discovery of New Zealand, boats
were sent back to Hawaiki to induce large com-
panies of colonists to leave the land of warfare
and trouble and settle in rich lands bordering
the beautiful bays of New Zealand.

Like stories of discovery of new lands and
return for friends adorn the legends of all Poly-
nesia. Wakea's descendants were clannish and
stood by each other in that great migration of
the second century as well as in the better-re-
membered journeys of later years. There seems
to have been a continued migration of the Poly-
nesians. Sometimes they were apparently fought
off by the black race, as in Australia; sometimes
they held their own for a time, keeping the black
men inland, as in Fiji; and sometimes they struck
out boldly for new lands, as when they sailed
long distances to the Hawaiian and Easter Isl-
ands. It is said that the purest forms of the
Polynesian language, most harmonious with one
another, were carried by the children of Wakea
to the far distant islands of New Zealand, Easter
Island and Hawaii.

LEGEND OF THE BREAD-FRUIT TREE 23

III
LEGEND OF THE BREAD-FRUIT TREE

THE wonderful bread-fruit tree was a great
tree growing on the eastern bank of the
rippling brook Puehuehu (the ancient name for
the Nuuanu stream near the Nuuanu Street
bridge). It was a tabu tree, set apart for the
high chief from Kou (ancient Honolulu harbor)
and the chiefs from Honolulu to rest under while
on their way to bathe in the celebrated diving-
pool Wai-kaha-lulu. That tree became a god,
and this is the story of its transformation:

Papa and Wakea were the ancestors of the
great scattered sea-going and sea-loving people
Uving in all the islands now known as Polynesia.
They had their home in every group of islands
where their descendants could find room to
multiply.

They came to the island of Oahu, and, accord-
ing to almost all the legends, were the first resi-
dents. The story of the magic bread-fruit tree,
however, says that Papa sailed from Kahiki (a
far-off land) with her husband Wakea, landing
on Oahu and finding a home in the mountain
upland near the precipice Kilohana.

24 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

Papa was a kupua — a woman having many
wonderful and miraculous powers. She had also
several names. Sometimes she was called Hau-
mea, but at last she left her power and a new
name, Ka-meha-i-kana, in the magic bread-fruit
tree. Usually the legends which tell this story
call her Haumea, but the name matters not and
the best and easiest name is Papa.

Papa was a beautiful woman, whose skin
shone like polished dark ivory through the flowers
and vines and leaves which were the only clothes
she knew. Where she and her husband had
settled down they found a fruitful country —
with bananas and sugar-cane and tare. They
built a house on the mountain ridge and feasted
on the abundance of food around them. Here
they rested well protected when rains were fall-
ing or the hot sun was shining.

Papa day by day looked over the seacoast
which stretches away in miles of marvellous
beauty below the precipices of the northern
mountain range of the island Oahu. Clear, deep
pools, well filled with most delicate fish, lay rest-
fully among moss-covered projections of the
bordering coral reef. The restless murmur of
surf waves beating in and out through the broken
fines of the reef called to her, so, catching up some
long leaves of the hala-tree, she made a light
basket and hurried down to the sea. In a Httle

LEGEND OF THE BREAD-FRUIT TREE 25

while she had gathered sea-moss and caught all
the crabs she cared to carry home.

She turned toward the mountain range and
carried her burden to Hoakola, where was a
spring of beautiful clear, cold, fresh water. She
lay down her moss and crabs to wash them clean
before she took them home.

She looked up, and on the moxmtain-side there
was something strange. She soon saw her hus-
band in the hands of men who had captured him
and boimd him and were compelling him to
walk down the opposite side of the range. Her
heart leaped with fear and anguish. She forgot
her crabs and moss and ran up the steep way
to her home. It is said that the moss rooted
itself by the spring, but the crabs escaped to the
sea.

The legend says that there were chiefs and
their people Uving on the Honolulu side of the
mountains, and that the noted temple Pakaka
(now the foot of Fort Street) had been built and
had received from time to time the htunan vic-
tims which it demanded through all its hundreds
of years of existence.

Lele-hoo-mao was said to be the ruling chief,
and his fields were the ones despoiled by Papa
and her husband. His servants, while searching
the country around these fields, had found and
captured Wakea. They were forcing him to the

26 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

temple Pakaka to be there offered in sacrifice.
They were shouting, "We have found the mis-
chief-maker and have tied him."

Papa threw around her some of the vines
which she had fashioned into a skirt, and ran
over the hills to the edge of Nuuanu Valley.
Looking far down the valley she saw her husband
and his captors.

Down she climbed into the valley. She found
a man by the side of the stream Puehuehu, who
said to her: "A man has been carried by who is
to be baked in an oven this day. The fire is
burning in the valley below."

Papa said, "Give me water to drink."

The man said, "I have none."

Then Papa took a stone and smashed it against
the ground. It broke through into the water
pool which lies near the present cemeteries, the
home of the dead in Nuuanu Valley. She drank
and hastened on to the bread-fruit tree at Nini,
where she overtook her husband and the men
who guarded him.

One of the legends says that a chief by the
name of Makea kUled Wakea at this place.
Others say that Makea was Papa's husband and
that he was killed by a chief, Puna-ai-koae, but
the longer legends say that Papa found her hus-
band alive, his hands bound behind him and his
leaf clothing torn from his body. She rushed to

LEGEND OF THE BREAD-FRUIT TREE 27

him, wailing and crying that she must kiss her
husband. She ran to him and began to push
him and pull him, whirling him around and
around.

Suddenly the great bread-fruit, tree opened and
she leaped with him through the doorway into
the heart of the tree. The opening closed in a
moment.

Papa, by her miraculous power, opened the
tree on the other side. They passed through
and went rapidly up the mountain-side to their
home, which was near the head of Kalihi Valley.

As they ran Papa threw off her vine pa-u, or
skirt. The vine became the beautiful morning-
glory, delicate in blossom and powerful in me-
dicinal qualities. The astonished men had lost
their captive. He was entirely lost. According
to the ancient Hawaiian proverb, "Their fence
was around the field of nothingness." They
rushed and pushed against the tree, but the door
was well closed. They ran around imder the
heavy-leaved branches and found nothing.
They believed that the great tree held their
captive in its magic power.

Away ran their messenger to their high chief,
Lele-hoo-mao, to teU him about the trouble at
the tabu bread-fruit tree at Nini and that the
sacrifice for which the oven was being heated
was lost.

28 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

The chiefs consulted together and decided to
cut down that tree and take that captive out of
his hiding-place. They sent tree-cutters with
their stone axes.

The leader of the tree-cutters struck the tree
with his stone axe. A chip leaped from the tree,
struck him, and he fell dead.

Another caught the axe. Again chips flew and
the workman fell dead.

Then all the cutters struck and gashed the
tree.

Whenever a chip hit any one he died, and the
blood of the tree flowed out and was spattered
under the blows of the stone axes. Whenever a
drop touched a workman or a bystander he fell
dead.

The people were filled with fear and cried to
their priest for help.

Wohi, the priest, came to the tree, bowed be-
fore it, and remained in silent thought a long
time. After a time he raised his head and said:
"It was not a woman who went into the tree.
That was Papa from Kahiki. She is a goddess
and has a multitude of bodies. If we treat her
well we shall not be destroyed."

Wohi commanded the people to offer sacrifices
at the foot of the tree. This was done with
prayers and incantations. A black pig, black
awa and red fish were offered to Papa. Then

LEGEND OF THE BREAD-FRUIT TREE 29

Wohi commanded the wood-cutters to rub
themselves bountifully with cocoanut oil and go
fearless to their work. Chips struck them and
the blood of the tree was spattered over them,
but they toiled on unhiu-t until the great tree
fell. Out of this magic bread-fruit tree a great
goddess was made. Papa gave to it one of her
names, Ka-meha-i-kana, and endowed it with
power so that it was noted from Kauai to Hawaii.
She became one of the great gods of Oahu, but
was taken to Maui, where Kamehameha secured
her as his god to aid in establishing his rule over
all the islands.

The peculiar divine gift supposed to residt
in this image made from the wonderful bread-
fruit tree was his abUity to aid her worshippers
in winning land and power from other people
and wisely employing the best means of firmly
estabUshing their own government, thus pro-
tecting and preserving the kingdom.

Papa dwelt above the Kalihi Valley and looked
down over the plains of Honolulu and Ewa cov-
ered with well-watered growing plants which
gave food or shade to the multiplying people.

It is said that after a time she had a daughter,
Kapo, who also had kupua, or magic power.
Kapo had many names, such as Kapo-ula-kinau
and Laka. She was a high tabu goddess of the
ancient Hawaiian hulas, or dances. She had

30 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

also the power of assuming many bodies at will
and could appear in any form from the mo-o, or
lizard, to man.

Kapo is the name of a place and of a wonder-
ful stone with a "front like the front of a house
and a back like the tail of a fish." The legends
of sixty years ago say that Kapo still stood in
that place as one of the guardians of Kalihi
Valley.

Kapo was born from the eyes of Haumea, or
Papa.

Papa looked away from Kapo and there was
born from her head a sharp pali, or precipice,
often mist-covered; this was Ka-moho-alii.
Then Pele was born. She was the one who had
mighty battles with Kamapuaa, the pig-man,
who almost destroyed the volcano Kilauea.
It was Ka-moho-alii who rubbed sticks and
rekindled the volcanic fires for his sister Pele,
thus driving Kamapuaa down the sides of Kilauea
into the ocean.

These three, according to the Honolulu legends,
were the highest-born children of Papa and
Wakea.

Down the Kalihi stream below Papa's home
were two stones to which the Hawaiians gave
eepa, or gnomelike, power. If any traveller
passes these stones on his way up to Papa's rest-
ing-place, that wayfarer stops by these stones,

LEGEND OF THE BREAD-FRUIT TREE 31

gathers leaves and makes leis, or garlands, and
places them on these stones, that there may be
no trouble in all that day's wanderings.

Sometimes mischievous people dip branches
from lehua-trees in water and sprinkle the eepa
rocks; then woe to the traveller, for piercing
rains are supposed to fall. From this comes the
proverb belonging to the residents of Kalihi
Valley, "Here is the sharp -headed rain of
Kalihi" ("Ka ua poo lipilipi o Kalihi").

32 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

IV
THE GODS WHO FOUND WATER

FOUR great gods with a large retinue of lesser
gods came from Kahiki to the Hawaiian
Islands. "Kahiki" meant any land beyond the
skies which came down to the seas aroimd the
Hawaiian group. These gods settled for a time
in Nuuanu Valley, back of the lands now known
as Honolulu. These four great gods were
worshipped by the Polynesians scattered all
over the Pacific Ocean. Their names were Ku,
Lono, Ka-ne and Kanaloa.

Ka-ne and Kanaloa were the water-finders,
opening fountains and pools over aU the islands,
each pool known now as Ka-Wai-a-ke-Akua
(The water provided by a god).

In one of the very old Hawaiian newspapers
the question was asked, "What are the waters
of Ka-ne?" The answers came: The heavy
showers of life-giving rain, the moxmtain stream
swelling into a torrent hfting and carrying away
canoes, the rainbow-colored rain loved by Ka-ne,
the continually flowing brooks of the valleys
and the fresh waters found an5^where — these
were the waters of Ka-ne.

THE GODS WHO FOUND WATER 33

It may reasonably be surmised that from
the realization of the blessing of fresh waters
the ancient Polynesians as weU as the Hawaiians
looked up to some waters to be found somewhere
in the lands of the gods, which were called "the
waters of life of Ka-ne." The Hawaiian legends
said: "If any one is dead and this water is
thrown upon him, he becomes alive again.
Old people bathing in this water go back to
their youth." If the common fresh water of
the hills and plains were good, it was easy to
look beyond to something better.

The gods Ka-ne and Kanaloa were very closely
allied to the farming interests of the people of
the long ago. Prayers were offered to thfcm in
all the different stages of the process of farming.
When a field was selected some article of food
was cooked and offered with the prayer:

"Here is food,
O Gods Ka-ne and Kanaloa!
Here is food for us.
Give life to us and our family.
Life for the parents feeble with age.
Life for all in the household.
When digging and planting our land
Life for us —
This is our prayer. Amama."

A similar prayer was made while cultivating
the crops or harvesting the ripened product.

34 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

It may be that the close connection of waters
with plant growth made these two gods the
especial gods of farmers.

There was a host of other gods whose names
were sometimes used in prayers offered while
farming. Each of these gods bore the name
"Ka-ne" (sometimes Ku or Lono would be sub-
stituted), followed by an adjective showing
some method of work, but. all these names of
lesser gods were apparently used to explain the
particular task desired, as when the name "Ka-
ne-apuaa" was mentioned in some prayers, the
word "puaa" (pig) carried the idea of digging or
uprooting the soil.

Ka-ne and Kanaloa were great travellers.
Together they journeyed over Kauai, coming
(according to an account written in the Ktwkoa
about 1868 by the Rev. J. Waiamau) from far-
away lands. They appeared more like men than
gods, and the Kauai people did not worship
them, so they opened up only a few fountains
and crossed over to the island Oahu.

Throughout all the islands the awa root has
been found. It was bitter and very astringent,
but when crushed and mixed with water the
juice became a liquor greatly loved by the
people. "These two gods drank awa from
Kauai to Hawaii," so the old legends say.

They journeyed along the coast of the island

THE GODS WHO FOUND WATER 35

Oahu until they came to Kalihi, one of the pres-
ent suburbs of the city of Honolulu. For a
long time they had been looking up the hill-
sides and along the water courses for awa — but
had not found what seemed desirable.

At Kalihi a niunber of fine awa roots were
growing. They pulled up the roots and pre-
pared them for chewing. When the awa was
ready Kanaloa looked for fresh water, but could
not find any. So he said to Ka-ne: "Our awa
is good, but there is no water in this place.
Where can we find water for this awa?"

Ka-ne said, "There is indeed water here."
He had a "large and strong staff," in some of the
legends called a spear. This he took in his
hands and stepped out on the bed of lava which
now underlies the soil of that region. He began
to strike the earth. Deep went the point of his
staff into the rock, smashing and splintering it
and breaking open a hole out of which water
leaped for them to mix with their prepared awa.
This pool of fresh water has been known since
the days of old as Ka - puka - Wai - o - Kalihi
(The water door of Kalihi). The gods, stupefied
by the liquor, lay down and slept. When at
last they were weary of that resting-place, they
passed Nuuanu Valley and went into the most
beautiful rainbow valley of the world, Manoa
Valley, the home of the rainbow princess. This

36 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

valley is one of the well-settled suburbs of
Honolulu.

Well-wooded precipices guard the upper end
of the valley and make difficult the path to the
tops of the mountains rising thousands of feet
above.

Here the gods found most excellent awa, and
Kanaloa cried, "O my brother, this is awa sur-
passing any other we have found; but where shall
I go to find water?" Ka-ne replied, "Here in
this hillside is water." So he took his staff and
struck it fiercely against the precipice by which
they had foimd awa. Rapidly the rocks were
broken off. The precipice crept back from the
mighty strokes of the god and a large pool of
clear, cool water nestled among the great stones
which had fallen. There they mixed awa and
water and drank again and again until the sleep
of the drunkard came and they rested by the
fountain they had made. This pool is still at
the head of Manoa Valley, and to this day is
called Ka-Wai-a-ke-Akua (The water pro-
vided by a god).

The servants of hxmdreds of chiefs have borne
water from this place to their thirsty masters.

In the days of Kamehameha I. very often
messengers came from this pool of water of the
gods with calabashes full of water swinging
from the ends of sticks laid over their shoulders.

TEE GODS WHO FOUND WATER 37

When they came near any individual or group
of Hawaiians they had to call out loudly, giv-
ing warning so that all by whom they passed
could fall prostrate before the gift of the gods
to the great king.

Ka-ne and Kanaloa made many fountains of
fresh waters in all the different islands. Some-
times a watchman refused to let them take the
desired awa — the legends say that they called
such persons stingy, and caught them and put
them to death. At . Honuaula they broke a
large place and made a great fish-pond.

They went to Kohala, Hawaii, and found a
temple in which they lived for a long time, and
the people of Hawaii thought they were gods.
Therefore they brought sacrifices and offered
worship, and Ka-ne and Kanaloa were satisfied
to remain as two of the gods of the islands.

This idea of "striking a rock for water springs"
is not connected or derived in any way from
Bibhcal sources. The tool used by Hawaiians
for centuries for digging was called the 0-0,
which was but little more than a sharp-pointed
stick or staff, which was a lever as well as a spade.
There is nothing in the legend beyond the
expression of a desire to locate water springs as
a gift from the gods.

38 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

V

THE WATER OF LIFE OF KA-NE

A Legend of Old Hawaii

"When the moon dies she goes to the living water of
Ka-ne, to the water which can restore all to life, even the
moon to the path in the sky." — Maori Legend of New Zea-
land.

THE Hawaiians of long ago shared in the belief
that somewhere along the deep sea beyond
the horizon around their islands, or somewhere in
the cloud-land above the heavens which rested
on their mountains, there was a land known as
"The land of the water of life of the gods." In
this land was a lake of living water in which
always rested the power of restoration to life.
This water was called in the Hawaiian language
Ka wai ola a Ka-ne, literally "The water living
of Ka-ne," or "The water of life of Ka-ne."

Mention of this "wai ola" is found in many
of the Pacific island groups, such as New Zea-
land, the Tongas, Samoa, Tahiti and the Ha-
waiian Islands. The thought of "water of life"
cannot be limited to only a few references in
legends. Some of the most interesting legen-

THE WATER OF LIFE OF KA-NE 39

dary experiences in several island groups belong
to the stories of a search after this "water of
life."

Ka-ne was one of the four greatest gods of
the Polynesians. In his hands was placed the
care of the water of life. If any person secured
this water, the power of the god went with it.
A sick person drinking it would recover health,
and a dead person sprinkled with it would be re-
stored to Ufe.

In the long, long misty past of the Hawaiian
Islands a king was very, very ill. All his friends
thought that he was going to die. The family
came together in the enclosiure around the house
where the sick man lay. Three sons were wailing
sorely because of their heavy grief.

An old man, a stranger, passing by asked them
the cause of the trouble. One of the young men
replied, "Our father lies in that house very near
death."

The old man looked over the wall upon the
young men and said slowly: "I have heard of
something which would make your father well.
He must drink of the water of life of Ka-ne.
But this is very hard to find and difficult to
get."

The old man disappeared, but the eldest son
said, "I shall not fail to find this water of life,
and I shall be my father's favorite and shall

40 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

have the kingdom." He ran to his father for
permission to go and find this water of life.

The old king said: "No, there are many diffi-
culties and even death in the way. It is better
to die here." The yomig prince urged his father
to let him try, and at last received permission.

The prince, taking his water calabash, hastened
away, but the joiu-ney was long and he found no
water which had the power of life. As he went
along a path through the forest, suddenly an
ugly Uttle man, a dwarf (an a-a), appeared in his
path and called out, "Where are you going that
you are in such a hurry?" The prince answered
roughly: "Is this your business? I have nothing
to say to you." He pushed the little man aside
and ran on.

The dwarf was very angry and determined to
punish the rough speaker, so he made the path
twist and turn and grow narrow before the trav-
eller. The further the prince ran, the more
bewildered he was, and the more narrow became
the way, and thicker and thicker were the trees
and vines and ferns through which the path
woimd. At last he fell to the earth, crawhng
and fighting against the tangled masses of ferns
and the clinging tendrils of the vines of the land
of fairies and gnomes. They twined themselves
around him and tied him tight with living cords,
and in their hands he lay like one who was dead.

THE WATER OF LIFE OF KA-NE 41

For a long time the family waited and at last
came to the conclusion that he had been over-
come by some difficulty. The second son said
that he would go and find that water of life, so
taking his water calabash he ran swiftly along
the path which his brother had taken. His
thought was also the selfish one, that he might
succeed where his brother had failed and so win
the kingdom.

As he ran along he met the same little man,
who was the king of the fairies although he ap-
peared as a dwarf. The little man called out,
" Where are you going in such a hurry? "

The prince spoke roughly, pushed him out of
the way, and rushed on. Soon he also was caught
in the tangled woods and held fast like one who
was dead.

Then the last, the youngest son, took his
calabash and went away thinking that he might
be able to rescue his brothers as well as get the
water of life for his father. He met the same
little man, who asked him where he was going.
He told the dwarf about the king's illness and
the report of the "water of hfe of Ka-ne," and
£isked the dwarf if he could aid in any way.
"For," said the prince, "my father is near death,
and this Uving water will heal him and I do not
know the way."

The little man said: "Because you have spoken

42 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

gently and have asked my help and have not
been rough and rude as were your brothers, I
will teU you where to go and will give you aid.
The path will open before you at the bidding of
this strong staff which I give you. By and by
you will come to the palace of a king who is a
sorcerer. In his house is the fountain of that
water of life. You cannot get into that house
unless you take three bundles of food which I
will give you. Take the food in one hand and
your strong staff in the other. Strike the door
of that king's house three times with your staff
and an opening will be made. Then you will
see two dragons with open mouths ready to
devour you. Quickly throw food in their mouths
and they will become quiet. Fill your calabash
with the living water and hurry away. At
midnight the doors are shut, everything is
tightly closed, and you cannot escape."

The prince thanked the httle man, took the
presents and went his way rejoicing, and after
a long time he came to the strange land and the
sorcerer's house. Three times he struck until
he broke the wall and made a door for himself.
He saw the dragons and threw the food into their
mouths, making them his friends. He went
in and saw some young chiefs, who welcomed
him and gave him a war-club and a bundle of
food. He went on to another room, where he

THE WATER OF LIFE OF KA-NE 43

met a beautiful maiden whom he loved at once
with all his heart. She told him as she looked
in his eyes that after a time they would meet
again and live as husband and wife. Then she
showed him where he could get the water of
life, and warned him to be in haste. He dipped
his calabash in the foimtain and leaped through
the door just as the moments of midnight came.

With great joy he hastened from land to land
and from sea to sea watching for the Httle man,
the a-a, who had aided him so much. Almost
as if his wish were known the httle man appeared
and asked him how he fared in his journey.
The prince told him about the long way and the
success and then offered to pay as best he could
for all the aid so kindly given.

The dwarf refused all reward. Then the
prince said he would be so bold as to ask one
favor more. The httle man said, "You have
been so thoughtful in dealing with me as one
highly honored by you, ask and perhaps I can
give you what you wish."

The prince said, "I do not want to return home
without my brothers; can you help me find
them?" "They are dead in the forest," said
the dwarf. "If you find them they will only
do you harm. Let them rest in their beds of
vines and ferns. They have evil hearts."

But the young chief pressed his kindly thought

44 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

and the dwarf showed him the tangled path
through the forest. With his magic staff he
opened the way and fomid his brothers. He
sprinkled a little of the water of life over them
and they came back to full hfe and strength. He
told them how he had found the "living water
of Ka-ne," and had received gifts and also the
promise of a beautiful bride. The brothers for-
got their long sleep of death and were jealous
and angry at the success of their younger brother.

The way was long as they journeyed home-
ward. They passed a strange land where the
high chief was resisting a large body of rebels.
The land was lying desolate and the people were
starving. The young prince pitied the high chief
and his people and gave them a part of the
bundle of food from the house of the god Ka-ne.
They ate and became very strong. Then he let
the chief have his war-club. Quickly the rebels
were destroyed and the land had quiet and peace.

He aided another chief in his wars, and still
another in his difficulties, and at last came with his
brothers to the seacoast of his own land. There
they lay down to sleep, but the wicked brothers
felt that there were no more troubles in which
they would need the magic aid of their brother,
so they first planned to kill him, but the magic
war-club seemed to defend him. Then they
took his calabash of the water of life and poiured

THE WATER OP LIFE OF KA-NE 45

the water into their water-jars, filling his cala-
bash again with salt, sickish sea-water. They
went on home the next morning. The yoimg
prince pressed forward with his calabash, hand-
ing it to his father, telling him to drink and
recover life. The king drank deeply of the salt
water and was made more seriously sick, almost
to death. Then the older brothers came, charg-
ing the young prince with an attempt to poison
his father. They gave him the real water of
life and he immediately became strong as in the
days of his youth.

The king was very angry with the youngest
son and sent him away with an officer who was
skilled in the forest. The officer was a friend of
the yoimg prince and helped him to find a safe
hiding-place, where he lived a long time.

By and by the three great kings came from
distant lands with many presents for the prince
who had given them peace and great prosperity.
They told the father what a wonderful son he
had, and wanted to give him their thanks. The
father called the officer whom he had sent away
with the young man and acknowledged the
wrong he had done. The officer told him the
prince was not dead, so the king sent messengers
to find him.

Meanwhile one of the most beautiful princesses
of all the world had sent word everywhere that

46 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

she would be seated in her house and any prince
who could walk straight to her along a line
drawn in the air by her sorcerers, without turning
to either side, should be her husband. There was
a day set for the contest.

The messengers sent out by the king to find the
prince knew aU about this contest, so they made
all things known to their yoimg chief when they
found him. He went with his swift steps of love
to the land of the beautiful girl. His brothers
had both failed in their most careful endeavors,
but the young prince followed his heart's desire
and went straight to a door which opened of its
own choice. Out of the house leaped the maiden
of the palace of the land of Ka-ne. Into his arms
she rushed and sent her servants everywhere to
proclaim that her lord had been found.

The brothers ran away to distant lands and
never returned. The prince and the princess
became king and queen and lived in great peace
and happiness, administering the affairs of their
kingdom for the welfare of their subjects. Thus
they received high honor from all their people
for their wisdom and grace.

THE GOD OF PAKAKA TEMPLE 47

VI
THE GOD OF PAKAKA TEMPLE

PAKAKA was a heiau, or temple, located in
the long ago on the western side of the foot
of Fort Street, about the place where a lumber-
yard is now to be found. There are several
legends connected with this heiau. One of the
most interesting is that which teUs how the god
of the temple came into being.

The story of the god of this temple is a story
of voyages and vicissitudes. Olopana had sailed
away from Waipio, Hawaii, for the distant isl-
ands of distant seas. Somewhere in all that
great number of islands which were grouped un-
der the general name "Kahiki" Olopana found
a home. Here his daughter Mu-lei-ula was
near to childbirth. "Mu with the red gar-
land" was experiencing great trouble. For
some reason Haumea, one of the divine Poly-
nesian ancestors, had stopped for a time to visit
the people of that land. When the friends were
afraid that "Mu" would die, Haumea came to
help, saying: "In our land the mother lives. The
mother and child both live." The people said,
"If you give us aid, how can we render payment
or give you a reward?"

48 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

Haumea said: "There is a beautiful tree with
two strange but glorious flowers, which I like
very much. It is ' the tree of changing leaves'
with two flowers, one kind singing sharply, and
the other singing from time to time. For this
tree I wUl save the life of the chief's daughter
and her child."

Gladly the sick girl and her friends promised
to give this beautiful tree to Haumea. It was
a tree greatly loved and enjoyed by the princess.
Haumea commenced the prayers and incanta-
tions which accompanied her treatment of the
sick, and the chiefess rapidly grew stronger.
This had come so quickly and easOy that she
repented the gift of the tree with the beautiful
flowers, and cried out, "I will not give the tree."
Immediately she began to lose strength, and
called to Haumea that she would give the tree
if she could be forgiven and healed. However,
as strength came to her once more she again
felt sorry for her tree and refused to let it go.
Again the incantations were broken off and
the divine aid withdrawn.

Olopanain agony cried to his daughter: "Give
up your tree. Of what use will it be with its
flowers if you die? " Then Haumea gave her the
final strength, with the most powerful incanta-
tions, and mother and child both lived and be-
came well and strong.

THE GOD OF PAKAKA TEMPLE 49

Haumea took the tree and travelled over the
far seas to distant Hawaii. On that larger isl-
and she found no place to plant the tree. She
crossed over to the island Maui, and came to the
"four rivers." There she found the awa of the
gods and prepared it to drink, but needed fresh
water to mix with it. She laid her tree on the
groimd at Puu-kume by the Wai-hee stream and
went down after water. When she returned the
tree had rooted. While she looked at it it be-
gan to stand up and give life to its branches.
She built a stone wall around it, shutting out the
winds. When it blossomed Haumea returned to
her divine home in Nuumehalani, in the unknown
land of mists and shadows where the gods dwelt.

By and by a man took his stone axe and went
out to cut a tree, perhaps to make a god. He
saw a new tree, short and beautiful, and after
hours of labor cut it down. The night was com-
ing on, so he left it as it fell and went home.

That night a fierce and mighty storm came
down from the mountains. Blood-red were the
streams of water pouring down into the valleys.
During twenty nights and twenty days the angry
rain punished the land above and around Wai-
hee. The river was more than a rushing tor-
rent. It built up hills and dug ravines. It
hurled its mighty waves against the wall inside
which the tree was lying. It broke the wall,

so LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

scattered the stones, and bore the tree down one
of the deep ravines it had dug. The branches
were broken off and carried with the trunk of
the tree far out into the ocean.

For six months the waves tossed this burden
from one place to another, and at last threw the
largest branch on the reef near the beach of
Kailua, on the island Hawaii. The people saw
a very wonderful thing. Where this branch lay
stranded in the water, fish of many kinds gath-
ered leaping around it. The chiefs took this
wonderful branch inland and made the god
Makalei, which was a god of Hawaii for gen-
erations.

Another branch came into the possession of
some of the Maui chiefs, and was used as a
stick for hanging bimdles upon. It became a
god for the chiefs of Maui, with the name Ku-
ke-olo-ewa.

The body of the tree rolled back and forth
along the beach near the four waters, and was
wrapped in the refuse of the sea.

A chief and his wife had not yet found a god for
their home. In a dream they were told to get a
god. For three days they consulted priests, re-
peated prayers and incantations, and offered
sacrifices to the great gods, while they made
search for wood from which to cut out their
god. On the third night the omens led them

THE GOD OF PAKAKA TEMPLE 51

down to the beach and they saw this trunk of a
tree rolling back and forth. A dim haze was
playing over it in the moonlight. They took
that tree, cut out their god, and called it Ku-hoo-
nee-nuu. They built a heiau, or temple, for this
god, and named that heiau Waihau and made
it tabu, or a sacred place to which the priests
and high chiefs alone were admitted freely.

The mana, or divine power, of this god was
very great, and it was a noted god from Hawaii
to Kauai. Favor and prosperity rested upon
this chief who had found the tree, made it a god,
and built a temple for it.

The king who was living on the island Oahu
heard about this tree, and sent servants to the
island Maui to find out whether or no the re-
ports were true. If true they would bring that
god to Oahu.

They foimd the god and told the chief that the
king wanted to establish it at Kou (ancient
Honolulu), and would buUd a temple for it
there. The chief readUy gave up his god and
it was carried over to its new home.

The temple, or heiau, was built at Kou and the
god Ku-hoo-nee-nuu placed in it. This temple
was Pakaka, near the foot of Fort Street, the
most noted temple on the island Oahu, while its
god, the log of the tree from a foreign land, be-
came the god of the chiefs of Oahu.

52 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

vn

MAMALA THE SURF-RIDER.

"TV^OU" was the ancient name of Honolulu —
-l^ the place for games and sports among the
chiefs of long ago. A little to the east of Kou and
inside the present filled land used for the United
States quarantine and coal station was a pond
with a beautiful grove of cocoanut-trees belonging
to a chief, Hono-kau-pu, and afterward known
by his name. Straight out toward the ocean
was the narrow entrance to the harbor, through
which rolled the finest surf waves of the Honolulu
part of the island Oahu. The surf bore the name
"Ke-kai-o-Mamala" ("The sea of Mamala ").
When the surf rose high it was called "Ka-
nuku-o-Mamala" ("The nose of Mamala"). So
the sea and entrance to the harbor were known
by the name "Mamala," and the shore gave
the name "Kou" to the bay.

Mamala was a chiefess of kupua character.
This meant that she was a mo-o, or gigantic liz-
ard or crocodile, as well as a beautiful woman,
and could assume whichever shape she most
desired. One of the legends says that she was
a shark and woman, and had for her husband
the shark-man Ouha, afterward a shark-god
having his home in the ocean near Koko Head.

MAMALA THE SVRF-SJDER 53

Mamala and Ouha drank awa together and
played konane on the smooth konane stone at
Kou.

Mamala was a wonderful surf-rider. Very
skilfully she danced on the roughest waves.
The surf in which she most dehghted rose far
out in the rough sea, where the winds blew
strong and whitecaps were on waves which rolled
in rough disorder into the bay of Kou. The
people on the beach, watching her, filled the air
with resoxmding applause as they clapped their
hands over her extraordinary athletic feats.

The chief, Hono-kau-pu, chose to take Mamala
as his wife, so she left Ouha and lived with her
new husband. Ouha was angry and tried at
first to injure Hono and Mamala, but he was
driven away. He fled to the late Ka-ihi-Kapu
toward Waikiki. There he appeared as a man
with a basketful of shrimps and fresh fish,
which he offered to the women of that place,
saying, "Here is life [i.e., a living thing] for
the children." He opened his basket, but the
shrimps and the fish leaped out and escaped
into the water.

The women ridiculed the god-man. The an-
cient legendary characters of all Polynesia as
well as of Hawaii could not endure anything
that brought shame or disgrace upon them in
the eyes of others. Ouha fled from the taunts

54 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

of the women, casting off his human form, and
dissolving his connection with humanity. Thus
he became the great god-shark of the coast be-
tween Waikiki and Koko Head.

The surf-rider was remembered in the beau-
tiful mele, or chant, coming from ancient times
and called the mele of Hono-kau-pu:

"The surf rises at Koolau,
Blowing the waves into mist,
Into little drops,

Spray falling along the hidden harbor.
There is my dear husband Ouha,
There is the shaking sea, the riuining sea of Kou,
The crab-like moving sea of Kou.
Prepare the awa to drink, the crab to eat.
The small konane board is at Hono-kau-pu.
My friend on the highest point of the surf.
This is a good surf for us.
My love has gone away.
Smooth is the floor of Kou,
Fine is the breeze from the mountains.
I wait for you to return,
The games are prepared,
Pa-poko, pa-loa, pa-lele.
Leap away to Tahiti

By the path to Nuumehalani (home of the gods),
WiU that lover (Ouha) return?
I belong to Hono-kau-pu,
From the top of the tossing surf waves.
The eyes of the day and the night are forgotten.
Kou has the large konane board.
This is the day, and to-night
The eyes meet at Kou."

.-■" .^^in&Si^

=-M- -:_

VIII
A SHARK PUNISHED AT WAIKIKI

BETWEEN i860 and 1870 two Hawaiian
papers, the Kuokoa and the Au-Okoa, gave
space to a great many chapters of Hawaiian
history and legend.

Among the legendary characters was Ka-ehu
— the little yellow shark of Pearl Harbor. He
had been given magic power and great wisdom
by his ancestor Kamoihili, the shark-god,
brother of the fire-goddess Pele.

Part of his life had been spent with his par-
ents, who guarded the sea precipices of the
Coast of Puna in the southern part of the island
Hawaii. While at Pearl Harbor he became
homesick for the beauty of Puna, so he chanted:

"O my land of rustling lehua-treesl
Rain is treading on your budding flowers.
It carries them to the sea.
They meet the fish in the sea.
This is the day when love meets love,
My longings are stirring within me
For the spirit friends of my land.
They call me back to my home,
I must return."

S6 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

Ka-ehu called his shark friends and started
along the Oahu shores on his way to Hawaii.
At Waikiki they met Pehu, a shark visitor from
Maui, who lived in the seas belonging to Hono-
ka-hau. Pehu was a man-eating shark and was
swimming back and forth at Kalehua-wike (the
surf outside Moana Hotel). He was waiting
for some surf-rider to go out far enough to be
caught.

Ka-ehu asked him what he was doing there.
He replied, "I am catching a crab for my break-
fast."

Ka-ehu said, "We will help you catch your
crab."

He told Pehu to go near the coral reef while
he and his large retinues of sharks would go
seaward. When a number of surf-riders were
far out he and his sharks would appear and
drive them shoreward in a tumultuous rush;
then Pehu could easily catch the crab. This
pleased the shark from Maui, so he went close
to the reef and hid himself in its shadows.

Ka-ehu said to his friends: "We must kill
this man-eating shark who is destroying our
people. This will be a part of our pay to them
for honoring us at Puu-loa [the ancient name
for Pearl Harbor]. We will all go and push
Pehu into the shallow water."

A number of surf-riders played on the waves,

A SHARK PUNISHED AT WAIKJKI 57

and Pehu called for the other sharks to come, but
Ka-ehu told him to wait for a better chance.
Soon two men started on a wave from the dis-
tant dark blue sea where the high surf begins.

Ka-ehu gave a signal for an attack. He told
his friends to rush in under the great wave and
as it passed over the waiting Pehu crowd the men
and their surf-boards to one side and push the
leaping Pehu so that he would be upset. Then
while he was floundering in the surf they must
hurl him over the reef.

As Pehu leaped to catch one of the coming
surf-riders he was astonished to see the man
shoved to one side, then as he rose almost straight
up in the water he was caught by the other
sharks and tossed over and over until he plunged
head first into a deep hole in the coral. There he
thrashed his great tail about, but only forced him-
self farther in so that he could not escape.

The surf-riders were greatly frightened when
they saw the company of sharks swimming
swiftly outside the coral reef — but they were
not afraid of Pehu. They went out to the hole
and killed him and cut his body in pieces.
Inside the body they found hair and bones,
showing that this shark had been destroying
some of their people.

They took the pieces of the body of that
great fish to Pele-ula (near the present corner

58 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

of Nuuanu and Beretania Streets). There they
made a great oven and burned the pieces.

The place where he stuck fast in the coral is
probably still known by the fishermen of Waikiki
and is not far from the Moana Hotel beach.

Ka-ehu passed on toward Hawaii as a knight-
errant, meeting many adventures and punishing
evil-minded residents of the great sea.

ttn'UcA l■^ll^l^eT

THE LEGENDARY ORIGIN OF KAPA 59

EX

THE LEGENDARY ORIGIN OF KAPA

DR. BRIGHAM, the director of the Bishop
Museum in Honolulu, well says, "Kapa
(or tapa) is simply ka, the, and pa, beaten, or
the beaten thing."

The cloth used for centuries by the Hawai-
ians and some other Polynesians was "the
beaten thing" resulting from beating the inner
mucilaginous bark of certain trees into pulp and
then into sheets which could be used for cloth-
ing or covering.

The letters "k" and "t" have from time
immemorial been interchangeable among the
Hawaiians, therefore the words "kapa" and
"tapa" have both been freely used as the
name of the ancient wood-pulp cloth of the
Hawaiians.

The old people said that in the very long ago
their ancestors did not have anything like the
kapa cloth which has been known for many
centuries. They said also that there was no
kapa maoli, meaning that there was nothing in
nature which provided clothing or covering.
Very little reference is made in the legends to the

6o LEGENDS OP HONOLULU

use of skins as clothing, although the dog and
pig were brought with chickens by their early
ancestors.

The clothing of the oldest time was sometimes
made by tying dried banana leaves around the
body, and coverings were made by throwing dry
banana leaves over the body. Thus Kawelo was
warmed and brought back to life, according to
one of the most famous legends of the island
Kauai.

The long, fragrant leaves of the ti plant were
dried, soaked in water imtil soft, the outside
scraped off, then fastened together by braiding
or tying. In this way a very warm cloak was
made and worn by bird-catchers. They found
it very good for shedding rain and keeping out
cold when they went into the mountains. Some-
times the long leaves of the Lau-hala were
thatched into covering for the body as well as
for the house. So also grass was braided into
very fine cloaks as well as mats. Banana leaves
hanging in strips like a fringe were used for
malos (loin cloths) for men, and pa-us (skirts)
for women.

For many generations the art of making most
beautiful and costly feather garments has been
known by the Hawaiians. They braided or
wove a foundation mat of very fine vegetable
fibres, such as the long threads of the ieie vine.

THE LEGENDARY ORIGIN OF KAPA 61

This mat was fashioned into a mahiole, or
warrior's heknet, a kihei, or shoulder cape, or an
ahuula, or long cloak, and covered with the most
brilliant red and golden feathers which could be
secured from the Hawaiian forest birds. It is
natural to suppose that the most ancient people
brought the knowledge of kapa-making with
them when they came from the original home of
the Polynesians. But in the legend of Mak-
uakaumana the gods Ka-ne and Kanaloa are
represented as feeling pity for one of their wor-
shippers when they saw him shivering in a fierce
storm of cold rain; therefore they taught him
how to make a kihei, or shoulder cape. Great was
the wonder of the people of the northern side of
the island of Oahu when he appeared among
them and taught them how to make cloaks like
"thegift of thegods."

The legend is interesting, but only shows that
the people sometime learned how to make a work-
day cloak. The Hawaiian method of pounding
the adhesive bark of certain trees until that
bark becomes a pulpy mass and then making
and drying sheets was used in Samoa and many
other islands of the Pacific Ocean and also even
in Mexico himdreds of years ago. Evidently
the Hawaiian brought the art with him or learned
it from the sea rovers of about the tenth cen-
tury. Nevertheless, the Hawaiian legend of

62 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

the origin of kapa is a myth well worth keeping
on record in Hawaiian literature. It was partly
published in a native paper, the Kuokoa, in 1865,
but many references in other legends printed
about the same time fill out the story.

Back of Honolulu a beautiful valley rises in
a gentle slope between two rugged, precipitous
ranges of lava mountains until it reaches cloud-
land and drinks ceaselessly from the fountains
of the sky. A stream of laughing water rising
from waterfalls blown into spray by swift winds
rushes and leaps in numberless cascades through
pleasant groves down this valley of restful shad-
ows until it is lost in the coral reefs of an iri-
descent sea.

This is the noted Nuuanu Valley of winding
ways loved by sightseers as they climb to the
grand outlook over extinct craters, island coast
and boundless ocean, called "the view from
Nuuanu Pali."

This was the valley supposed to have been
the first habitation of the gods, from which all
life spread over the island group. Here the
gnomes, or the eepa people, had their home, and
here the Menehunes (the fairies) built a temple
for "the chUd adopted by the gods."

The waters of the valley stream made pro-
ductive large areas of fertile land where the
valley broadened into the large seaside plain

THE LEGENDARY ORIGIN OF KAPA 63

in which now lies the city of Honolulu. Here
at a place called Pu-iwa, by the side of the run-
ning water, a farmer by the name of Maikoha
lived with his daughters without any care be-
yond raising whatever food they needed for
themselves and for their tribute to the king
and their offerings to the gods.

Years passed by and Maikoha became weak
and ill. The eepa people of the upper valley
had always sent driving rains and cold winds
down the valley, and Maikoha had cared Uttle
for them; but the old man at last went into the
days of death feeling a chiU which struck to
his very heart. On his death-bed he called his
daughters and commanded them carefully to
obey his words. He said: "When I die, bury
my body close to the waters of our pleasant
stream. A tree will grow from that burial-
place. This tree will be to you for kapa, from
which you will make all things good for clothing
as well as covering when you sleep or are ill.
The bark of this tree is the part you will use."

When death came, the daughters buried their
father by the rxmning water. After a time a
tree grew from the grave. The daughters saw
that it was a new tree such as they had never
seen before. It was not tall and large, but threw
out a number of small, spreading branches.
This was the wauke-tree.

64 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

The daughters with great fear drew near to
this monument which was over their father's
grave. They beUeved it was a gift from the
aumakua, the ghost-god, into which they
supposed the spirit of their father had been
changed.

Reverently they touched the tree, broke off
some of the branches, stripped off the bark, and
pounded and pounded untU the pieces were
fastened together in a rude kind of cloth. Thus
they foimd kapa, "the beaten thing," and learned
how to make it into small and large pieces and
out of these fashion such clothing as met their
need.

Wherever they cut or broke the branches of
this new tree the broken pieces took root, or,
if the fragments were caught by the swift-flow-
ing stream, they were tossed on the bank or car-
ried and scattered over the plain, and wherever
they went they found a place to plant themselves
until they grew even to the sea.

Branches were carried to the other islands;
thus the wauke became a blessing to all the
people. The kapa-tree under the name "ante,"
which is the same as wauke, was a blessing to
many Polynesians, from Tahiti to New Zealand.

In after years other trees, such as the mamaki,
the maa-loa and po-ulu, were found to have bark
from which kapa could be made; but the old

THE LEGENDARY ORIGIN OF KAPA 65

people said, "From the wauke we get the best
kapa for fine, soft clothing."

Maikoha became the chief aumakua, or an-
cestor-god, of the Hawaiian kapa-makers, and
has been worshipped for generations. When
they planted the wauke branches, or shoots,
prayers and incantations and sacrifices were
offered to Maikoha. Before branches were cut
and placed in bundles to be carried to a field set
apart for kapa-making, the favor of Maikoha
was again sought.

One of the daughters of Maikoha, whose name
was Lau-hu-iki, became the aumakua of all
those who pounded the prepared bark, for to
her was given the power of finding kapa in the
bark of the wauke-tree, and she had the power of
teaching how to pound as well as bless the labor
of those who worshipped her.

The other daughter, Laa-hana, was also wor-
shipped as an aumakua by those who used
especially marked clubs while beating the bark
into patterns or marked lines, for they said she
learned how to scratch the clubs with sharks'
teeth so that marks would be left in the pounded
sheets. She was also able to teach those who
worshipped her to mark figures or patterns on
the pounded kapa.

Thus Maikoha and his daughters became the
chief gods of the kapa-makers; but other ances-

66 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

tral gods were also found from time to time as
some new step was taken in perfecting the art.

Ehu, a man, was made the aumakua of kapa-
dyers because he learned how to dip the cloth
in dyes and give it color. He discovered the
red dye in the blood of the kukui-tree; therefore
prayers were offered to him and sacrifices laid
on his altar when the kapa-maker desired to
color some of the work.

A small corner in a house in the kapa-field
usually had a very small pile of stones called
"the altars." Here small offerings of leaves or
fruit could be placed while the worshipper chanted
his prayer.

Kapa-dyers searched forests for trees and
plants which could give life-blood for different
dyes. The sap of these plants was carefully
put in bamboo joints and carried to the place
where the pounders sang and worked.

Offerings of leaves and fruits and flowers were
made to Ehu from time to time while the dyes
were being collected as well as when they were
used to color the kapa.

Sometimes the sheets were spotted by sprink-
ling colors over them. Sometimes they were
marked in lines and figures by using bamboo
sphnts or bamboos with ends pounded into brush-
like fibres. Stone cups were kept in the kapa-
fields for the dye and the marking-splint.

THE LEGENDARY ORIGIN OF KAPA 67

Sometimes torn-up pieces of dyed kapas were
pounded up with new sheets, producing a mottled
efifect. White kapas of the best texture were
used in the temples to cover the gods in certain
parts of the temple ceremonies. They were
also used to mark a strict tabu. When laid
on an object, it meant that it was not to be
touched under pain of punishment by the guard-
ing aumakua. Fastened to a staff and placed
in a path, it meant that this path was tabu. It
was in this way that tabu standards were placed
around the temples.

A kapa dipped in a black dye was kept for
the death covering, especially of those of very
high rank.

Sometimes the perfumes of sweet flowers or
the oil of such trees as the iliahi (sandalwood)
were pounded into the kapa while it was being
made. "The perfumes were made in this way.
The sweet-smelling things were placed in a cala-
bash and covered with water. Hot stones were
put in the water and the fragrance drawn out
of the plants. The water was boiled away
until the perfume became very strong. This
was done with the sweet-scented flowers of
the niu (cocoanut) and of the lau-hala, and
the wood of the iliahi and other fragrant
plants."

When the kapas were perfimied, they were

68 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

dried inside a house so that the fragrance should
not be lost.

Sometimes the kapas were well scraped with
pieces of shell or rubbed with stones, then were
rolled in dirt and put in a calabash and well
soaked for a long time. When these kapas
were washed, scraped and pounded again, they
became very soft. Often the kapa-maker would
take these sheets of kapa and spread them over
a layer of cold, wet, fresh-water moss, leaving
them all night for the dew to fall upon. These
kapas became very bright and shining. Some-
times finished kapas were oiled so that they be-
came excellent protectors from the wet and cold
of heavy mists and rains. These oiled kapas
were frequently varnished by being rubbed with
eggs. Spider eggs were considered the best for
this purpose.

In the early time a flat stone was used upon
which to poimd out the sheets of kapa, but
blocks of wood and long, heavy sticks were
foimd to give the best results. These were
called kua-kuku. A block cut in a certain way
was very much liked by the women, for it gave
back a soft sound with the rhythmic beat of
the mallets, accompanied by their own chants
and incantations to Maikoha or one of the other
aumakuas.

Hina, the mother of the demi-god Maui,

THE LEGENDARY ORIGIN OF KAPA 69

was the great kapa-maker of the legends of
the ancient Hawaiians. It is said that she still
spreads her kapas in the sky. They are the
beautiful clouds of all colors, sometimes piled
up and sometimes lying in sheets. When fierce
winds blow and lift and toss the cloud kapas and
roll off the stones which Hina has placed on them
to hold them down, or when she throws off the
stones herself, the noise of the rolling stones is
the thunder which men hear.

When Hina roUs the cloud sheets together,
the folds glisten and flash in the light of the sun;
thus what men call lightning is the simlight
leaping from sheet to sheet of Hina's kapas in
cloudland.

70 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

CREATION OF MAN

BACK of Honolulu rises a cloud-capped range
of island mountains. Just over this range
is the place where Kamakau, a native historian of
about sixty years ago, says that the Hawaiian
gods created the first inhabitants of these islands.
The story has been repeated in several Hawaiian
papers and with embellishments, was adopted by
Judge Fornander and mentioned in notes in his
work "The Polynesian Race." Parts of the
story are evidently old Hawaiian, but the part
which describes the creation of man is thor-
oughly Bibhcal with the addition of a few touches
of the imagination.

The gods had come from far-off unknown
lands. They brought with them the mysterious
people who live in precipices and trees and rocks.
These were the invisible spirits of the air.

Ku, Ka-ne, Lono and Kanaloa were the first
gods made.

The earth was a calabash. The gods (other
legends say the first man maker) threw the cala-
bash cover upward and it became the sky. Part
of the thick "flesh" became the sun. Another

CREATION OF MAN 71

part was the moon. The stars came from the
seeds.

The following fine chant describes the ap-
pearance of the earth:

"The sky is established.
The earth is established.
Fastened and fastened,
Always holding together,
Entangled in obscurity.
Near each other (a group of islands)
Spreads out like a flock of birds.
Leaping up are the divided places.
Lifted far up are the heavens.
Polished by striking,
Lamps rest in the sky.
Presently the clouds move.
The great sun rises in splendor.
Mankind arises to pleasure.
The moving sky is above."

The gods went over to a small island called
Mokapu, and thought they would make man to
be chief over all other things. Mololani was the
crater hill which forms the little island. On the
sunrise side of this hUl, near the sea, was the
place where red dirt lay mixed with dark blue
and black soil. Here Ka-ne scratched the dirt
together and made the form of a man.

Kanaloa ridiculed the mass of dirt and made
a better form, but it did not have life. Ka-ne

72 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

said, "You have made a dirt image; let it be-
come stone."

Then Ka-ne ordered Ku and Lono to carefully
obey his directions. They were afraid he would
kill them, so at once they caught one of the
spirits of the air and pushed it into the image
Ka-ne had made.

Fomander, in his book "The Polynesian
Race," says that Lono brought whitish clay from
the four ends of the world, with which to make
the head, but there is no foundation for this
statement in the legends. This must have been
a verbal statement made to him by Kamakau.
When the spirit had been pushed into the body,
Ka-ne stood by the image and called, "Hiki
au-E-ola! E-ola!" ("I come, live! live!")

Ku and Lono responded "Live! live!" Then
Ka-ne called again, "I come, awake! awake!"
and the other two responded, "Awake!
awake!" and the image became a Uving man.

Then Ka-ne cried, "I come, arise! arise!"
The other gods repeated, "Arise! arise!" and the
image stood up — a man with a living spirit.
They named him Wela-ahi-lani-nui, or "The
great heaven burning hot."

A chant is given, probably made by Kamakau,
giving the divine signs attending the birth of a
chief:

CREATION OF MAN 73

"The stars were burning.
Hot were the months.
Land rises in islands,
High surf is like mountains,
Pele throws out her body (of lava).
Broken masses of rain from the sky,
The land is shaken by earthquakes,
Ikuwa reverberates with thimder."

Ikuwa was the month of thunder and light-
ning. Thus attended by the right signs a chief
came into the world.

The Au-Okoa, a native paper of 1869, says
that the gods took this man to their home and
nourished him. When he became strong he
went out to walk around the home of the gods.
Soon he noticed a shadow going aroimd with his
body. It walked when he walked, and rested
when he rested. He wondered what this thing
was, and called it "aka," or "shadow."

When he slept, Ku, Ka-ne and Lono tore open
his body, and Ka-ne took out a woman, leaving
Ku and Lono to heal the body. Then they put
the woman by the side of the man and they
were alike.

Wela-ahi-lani-nui woke and found a beautiful
one lying by him, and thought: "This is that
thing which has been by my side, my aka. The
gods have changed it into this beautiful one."
So he gave her the name "Ke-aka-huli-lani"

74

LEGENDS OP HONOLULU

("The heaven-changed shadow "). But the na-
tives have called her "Owe." These were the
ancestors of the Hawaiians and all the peoples
of the islands of the great ocean.

This legend, although by one of the old Hawai-
ians, is unquestionably adapted in part to the
Biblical account of the Creation of Man, al-
though parts of it touch Hawaiian antiquity.

It must be remembered that there are many
other Hawaiian legends which mention other
first men and women as ancestors of the Hawai-
ian people. The above legend of the creation
of man is to be known as "The Kamakau Le-
gend."

CHIEF WITH WONDERFUL SERVANTS 75

XI

THE CHIEF WITH THE WONDERFUL
SERVANTS

IN the native newspaper, the Kuohoa, of 1862,
the following story is told about a chief who
hved on the island of Oahu in the very misty
memory of long, long ago. He thought he
would travel over his lands and see their condi-
tion. So pleased was he that he boasted when
he saw a fellow-traveller. The man replied, "I
can see the lands of Wakea and Papa and they
are larger and fairer than these fine places of
yours." They decided to go together to find
that wonderfiil land of the gods.

Soon they passed a man standing by the way-
side. The chief asked him what he was doing.
The man repUed: "I am Mama-loa [The very
swift]. I am waiting for the sun to rise, that I
may run and catch him." They all waited until
the sun came up and started to rise above the
island. The man ran very fast and caught it,
tied it, and held it as a prisoner for a time.

Then the three travelled together — the chief,
whose name was Ikaika-loa (The very strong),
and the man who could see clearly a long dis-

76 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

tance, whose name was Ike-loa (The far-
sighted), and Mama-loa (The very swift). In
a little while they saw two men sleeping by the
path. One was shivering with cold; his name
was Kanaka-make-anu (Man who dies ia the
cold). The other was burning as if over a fire;
his name was Kanaka-make-wela (Man who dies
in the fire). They warmed one and cooled the
other, and all went on together.

They came to a field for rat-shooting, and found
a man standing with bow and arrow, shooting
very skilfully. His name was Pana-pololei
(The straight shooter). They asked him to go
to the lands of Wakea and Papa, so he journeyed
with them. By and by they foimd a man lying
by the path with his ear to the ground. The
chief asked him, "What are you domg?" He
looked up and said, "I have been listening to
the quarrel between Papa and Wakea." These
two ancestors of the Hawaiian people had a
famous quarrel and finally separated. The man
who was hstening to their harsh words was Hoo-
lohe-loa (The man who could hear afar off).
They all journeyed on until they entered a land
more beautiful than any they had ever seen
before. The legends say that one of the homes
of Wakea and Papa was the splendid country
around Nuuanu VaUey and Honolulu.

The watchmen of that coimtry saw six fine-

CHIEF WITH WONDERFUL SERVANTS 77

looking men coming; with them was a seventh
man, superior in every way. The report of the
coming of these strangers was quickly sent to
the chiefess who ruled the land imder Wakea
and Papa. She commanded her chief warrior to
take his warriors and meet these strangers and
bring them to her house. There they were en-
tertained. While they slept the chiefess gath-
ered her people together xmtil the enclosure
around the cluster of houses was filled with
people.

In the morning Ikaika-loa, the chief, said to
the chiefess: "I have heard that you propound
hard riddles. If I guess your riddles you shall
become my wife." The chiefess agreed, took him
out of the house, and said, "The man who is
now my husband is standing by the door of the
house of Wakea and Papa; where is the door of
that house?" The chief turned to Ike-loa and
secretly asked if he could see the door of Papa's
house. He looked all around and at last said:
"The door of that house is where the trunk of
that great tree is. If you are strong and can
break that tree you can find the door, because it
is in one of the roots of that tree."

Then the chief went out to that tree and lifted
and twisted the bark and tore away the wood,
opening the door.

After this the chiefess said: "There are three

78 LEGENDS OP HONOLULU

dogs. One belongs to our high chief, Wakea;
one to his wife, Papa; and one is mine. Can
you point out the dog belonging to each of us?"

The chief whispered to his servant Hoo-lohe-
loa, "Listen and learn the names of the dogs."
So the man who could hear clearly put his ear
to the ground and heard Papa telling her ser-
vants: "This black dog of Papa's shall go out
first, then the red dog of Wakea. The white
dog belonging to the chiefess shall go last."
Thus the chief learned how to name the dogs.

When the black dog leaped through the door
the chief cried out, "There is the black dog be-
longing to Papa."

When the red dog followed he said, "That is
the red dog of Wakea."

Then came the white dog, and the chief cried
out, "That white dog belongs to us, O Chiefess."

After this they prepared for a feast. The
chiefess said: "Very far is the sweet water we
wish. You send one of yoiur men and I will
send one of my women each with a calabash for
water. If your man comes back first while we
eat, we wiU marry."

The chief gave a calabash to Mama-loa and he
made ready to go — a woman with her calabash
standing by his side.

At the word they started on their race. The
man ran swiftly, thinking there was no one

CBIEF WITH WONDERFUL SERVANTS 79

among all men so swift as he, but the woman
passed him and was leaving him far behind.

The chief called Pana-pololei, the straight
shooter, and told him they needed his skill. He
took his bow and arrows and shot. Far, far the
arrow sped and whizzed just back of the head
of the woman. She was so startled that she
stumbled and fell to the groxmd and the man
passed by.

After a time the chief said to Ike-loa, the far-
sighted, "How are they running now?" The
servant said, "The woman is again winning."
The chief said to his rat-hunter, "Perhaps you
have another arrow?" and again an arrow sped
after the swift runners. It grazed the back of
the woman and she fell. Mama-loa passed her,
rushed to the foxmtain, filled his calabash and
started back. But the woman was very swift,
and, quickly dipping her calabash, turned and
soon passed the man. An arrow sped touching
the head of the woman, and she fell forward,
breaking the calabash and spilling the water; but
she leaped up and saw a little water and hastened
after the man who had sped past her. "Ah,
how she runs! She flies by the man as they are
almost at the end of their race."

Then the chief called to his bowman: "O
Pana-pololei! Perhaps you have another ar-
row?" The bowman shot a blunt arrow, strik-

8o LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

ing the woman's breast, and she fell, out of
breath, losing all the water from her broken
calabash.

The chief took the calabash from his man
and poured water into a cocoanut-cup and gave
to the chiefess to drink. When the woman came
the chiefess asked why she had failed. The
woman replied: "I passed that man, but some-
thing struck me and I fell down. This came to
me again and again, but I could not see any-
thing. At last I fell and the calabash was
broken and all the water lost, and this man won
the race."

Meanwhile Mama-loa was being ridiculed by
the other servants of the chief. He asked:
" Why do you laugh at me? Did you not see my
victory?"

They laughed the more, and said: "Ka! If
we had not aided you, you would have been
defeated." Then they told him how he had
been watched by the far-sighted one and aided
by the arrows of his friend.

The chiefess told the chief that she had one
more test before the marriage could really come.

She said: "In this land there are two places,
one very hot and one very cold. If you can send
men to live in these two places we will marry."

Then the chief said to Kanaka-make-anu,
"You die in the cold, but perhaps you can go

CHIEP WITH WONDERFUL SERVANTS 8l

to the very hot place for the chief ess." And
Kanaka-make-wela who suffers from heat he
asked to go into the cold. The two servants
said: "We go, but we will never return. These
are our natural dwelling-places."

There were no more riddles to solve, so the
chief and chiefess married and lived royally in
that beautiful land of the gods.

C RLfttJBi.* a <Lovft(\

82 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

xn

THE GREAT DOG KU

Ku-ILIO-LOA

'TpHE Hawaiian legends frequently unite ani-
■*- mal and human forms and characteristics
in one individual, like the centaurs of Roman
mythology. In some cases the man always
carries with him a part of the animal shape.
The legends of shark-men place the shark mouth
between the shoulders of the man, and he is com-
pelled to always wear a cloak to conceal his de-
formity.

Usually, however, the legends give to the
human being the power to change at will into
the peculiar animal form with which he has
affinity without carrying with him any marks
of his previous shape. In the Pele legends a
chief appears as a beautiful bird and later as a
handsome man, and marries the chiefess. When
the hog-man Kamapuaa, however, courts Pele
he is compelled to hide his pig-like deformities
under a covering of kapa cloth.

The legend of the great dog Ku is somewhat
reversed from the usual order. Ku, the dog,
was given the power to change himself into a man

THE GREAT DOG KV 83

and return into his animal form whenever he
wished.

The legend is imique in that it unites a beau-
tiful nature-myth with a history-myth of fero-
cious cannibalism.

Ku-ilio-loa is a magic dog who could be large
or small at will. He roamed over the mountains
and could be seen at night stretching himself
from one peak to another or from the mountain
height above his home in a cave below. This is
evidently a nature-myth. The clouds on the
moimtains are ever multiform. Sometimes the
Him mist in the moonlight rears its dog-shaped
head over the sloping hills and stretches its
shadowy length up to the faintly outlined peaks
above; and sometimes the small cloud, like a dog
at rest, lies quietly in the skies above the moun-
tain forest. It was a beautiful outgrowth of
Hawaiian imagination.

The same nature-myth has been applied to the
cloud forms of lower Manoa Valley, a suburb of
Honolulu. This cloud-myth was known as the
story of Poki, the wonder-dog. He was often
seen at night especially by those who had stood
on the sacred bell rock of KamoiliiU. This
rock rang with a sweet, strong tone when struck
sharply. It had the power of giving clear vision
to the one who stood on it and absorbed its mys-
terious qualities. The visitor must stand on the

84 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

rock and utter his wish to see Poki. Then should
his eyes be opened and the wonder-dog of the
mountains of Oahu would reveal himself stretched
along the mountains and silvered by the moon-
light. Some of the later Hawaiians say that this
wonder-dog of Oahu is the spirit of the chief Boki,
who with his wife Liliha owned the lower part
of the valley of Manoa. Boki in the early days
of missionary labor in the Hawaiian Islands be-
came desirous of seeing the world and adding to
his riches; therefore he fitted out two ships
for foreign trade and sailed away. The ship in
which Chief Boki sailed was never heard from.
Hence arose the saying, "We will do this or that
when Boki comes back."

But some of the people changed the thought of
the old legend and claimed that his spirit returned
and now reveals himself as the dog watching over
his loved valley. Magic powers were given to
Poki — so that he could stretch himself along the
mountains, his hind feet on the mountain ridge
and his head in the valley below. He could also
extend himself to Nuuanu Valley and sometimes
spread his body over all the island. Probably
the only real connection of Chief Boki with the
wonder-dog Poki is the similarity of names. But
the chief has been abnost forgotten. Even the
wonder-dog is known only by the story-tellers,
while the night clouds, sometimes darkened by

THE GREAT DOG KU 8$

falling rain, sometimes enriched by the halo of
lunar rainbows, and sometimes glorified by the
silver moonlight, continue to stretch from peak
to peak along the mountains and watch over all
the various forms of life in the valleys below.

Ku-ilio-loa, the great dog Ku, was destined to
have another series of legends grow up about his
memory besides those suggested by the adoring
imaginations of nature lovers.

It is difficult to analyze the influences which
brought the beautiful nature-myth down to the
degradation of the sensuous life of a brute. Per-
haps the simplest thought is the best, and the
problem is solved by supposing that a chief by
the name of Ku became imbued with cannibahs-
tic desires and when driven away from his fellow-
men made his home among the almost inaccessi-
ble peaks where cloud-myth and cannibal-legend
could very easily be interwoven with each other
as the memory of his horrible cannibal life be-
came dimly connected with the mysterious cloud-
forms among which he died.

Ku, the dog-man, decided to come down from
the clouds and visit mankind, so he assvuned the
form of a little dog and went around almost
unnoticed.

Some of the legends say that Ku saw a group
of three rainbows moving from place to place or
resting for a long time above the home of a high

86 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

chief. Sometimes the rainbows went up to the
forests of ohia and kukui trees on the mountain-
side. Sometimes they rested over the deep pools
made by the waterfalls of the swiftly descending
moimtain streams. Most frequently the beau-
tiful colors were arched over a small grove of trees
around a bathing-pool protected on two sides by
steep ledges of rock over which branching streams
poured their cool waters which rose from the
shadows and rippled away over the mouth of the
little valley toward the sea. On the remaining
side of this sequestered nook was a sunny beach
of black sand, back of which the trees opened
their promise of refreshing shade.

Here Na-pihe-nui, the daughter of the high
chief, came daily with her company of maidens
to bathe and sport in the water and then let
the afternoon hours pass in rest and pleasant
conversation.

One day while diving into the pool from a shelf
on the rocky ledge one of the girls saw something
moving on the shore. She called to her com-
panions and with them hastened to the place
where their clothes had been thrown down.
Here they found a little white dog lying on the
kapa mantle of the princess.

For a time they played with the little stranger
and were very much dehghted with his imusual
intelligence. He gambolled around them in great

THE GREAT DOG KV 87

delight, obeying the call of one after the other,
but showing very marked preference for the
princess. When the maidens returned home they
took the little dog with them and cared for him.

The high chief, Polihale, was interested in the
peculiar powers possessed by this strange dog.
Perhaps he thought that it was under the control
of some spirit. His suspicions were in some way
aroused and the dog was watched. Soon the
chief learned that this was a man of marvellous
ability, who could appear as a dog or a man at
his own pleasure. Then the chief called his re-
tainers and ordered them to kill this dog. They
gathered stones and clubs and tried to surround
it, but it dashed into the woods and made its es-
cape. It was the great dog Ku, who had seen the
three rainbows and followed them to the bathing-
pool and then, having seen the princess, had de-
termined to find an opportunity to carry her away
as his wife. This premature discovery drove him
away before he could accomphsh his piupose.

Ku changed himself into a man of fine appear-
ance and came boldly to the high chief's home
demanding the princess in marriage, but the chief,
warned by the omens as studied by his sooth-
sayers, refused.

Then Ku in great anger threatened to kill the
chief's people, thus destroying the protectors of
the princess, but the high chief drove him away.

88 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

A dream came to the high chief, in which he
saw the strange man coming as a great dog. The
next morning as he looked toward the mountains
he saw this same large dog stretching itself out
of a cave on the mountain-side; then he knew
that this dog with magical powers would be a very
difficult enemy to overcome.

The chief soon learned that Ku was catching
his people one by one and devouring them. He
then decided to take final issue with his enemy.

He selected a cave in which he hid all the
women of his family, with an especial charge to
care for the princess. They carried provisions
with them and prepared for a long siege. Water
could be found in the cave itself. Stones were
placed before the opening so that the enemy
would find it hard to enter.

Then the high chief and his followers waged
war against Ku, the dog-man, but Ku was very
strong and overthrew his pursuers when they
closed in around him. Many times he killed
some of the chief's people and carried their bodies
away to feast upon them. He was also very
swift in his motion, rapidly passing from place
to place. Sometimes he fell hke a flash of light-
ning upon a group of his foes and then in an in-
credibly short time he would make an attack in
a far distant place.

The high chief became desperate and offered

THE GREAT DOG KU 89

sacrifices to his gods and secured charms from
his priests. Incantations and prayers were pre-
pared against Ku.

At last a terrific battle was fought and Ku was
overpowered and beaten to the ground. Still he
fought fiercely, but the hard wooden spears
pierced him and the heavy clubs broke his bones,
imtil he lay a crushed and bleeding mass at the
feet of his conquerors. Then they cut his body
in two pieces, throwing one piece to one side and
the other to a place some distance away. Then
the power of the priests was invoked and the
two parts of the body of Ku-ilio-loa became two
great stones which have been objects of venera-
tion among the Hawaiians for many years.

Ku stretches his form along the mountains
and sometimes reveals himself as the great dog
among the myriad shapes which the changing
clouds are ever assuming. Sometimes he is seen
in the clouds of Oahu, and then again his form
is in the skies of other islands.

The dog-man passed away, but the nature-
myth never dies.

90 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

XIII
THE CANNIBAL DOG-MAN

THERE was a heiau (temple) of the Mene-
hunes, where the road goes up Pauoa Val-
ley, at the foot of the hill on the eastern side
of Nuuanu Valley, the hill known now as Pacific
Heights.

The Menehunes were the fairies of Hawaii.
The goblins and gnomes of valley or woodland
were called the eepa people, while monsters hav-
ing the power of appearing in different kinds of
bodies were called kupuas. These usually had
cruel and vindictive characters and were ready to
destroy and devour any persons they covdd catch.
There were, however, many kupuas of kindly
spirit who gave especial watch care to the mem-
bers of their own families.

The Menehunes were temple-builders, makers
of great fish-ponds and even highways. They
made canoes, built houses, and did many of the
pleasant things fairies are always doing. Their
good works are to be found to this day on all the
different islands of the Hawaiian group.

Ka-hanai-akea-kea was the chief whose fol-
lowers fought with a dragon-god, whose name

THE CANNIBAL DOG-MAN 91

was Kuna, for a canoe in Nuuanu Valley. His
name meant "The adopted child of the gods."
He was a friend of the fairies — the Menehune
people. When he had grown into young man-
hood and was going to have a temple of his own,
with his own gods to worship, the Menehunes
heard about the plan for the walls and altars
and determined to build that temple for the
chief.

As soon as the night shadows had fallen over
the mountains back of Honolulu the Menehunes
were called together by their luna, or leader.
The stones necessary for the heiau (temple)
walls were pointed out. Flat-sided stones were
selected for raised places and altars, smooth
stones were called for from the seashore to be
laid down as the temple floor. Bamboo and
ohia sticks were to be brought with which to
build platforms for sacrifices, such as the bodies
of human victims. All parts of the temple
building even to the thatched houses for the
priests and chiefs were portioned among the
little people.

In one night the work was finished, a feast
was eaten, and the Menehunes had scattered in
the shadows of the forest thickets.

The adopted child of the gods took possession
of his temple and dedicated it with the tabu
service and ceremonies. This meant that a tabu

92 LEGENDS OF BONOLULU

of silence or a tabu forbidding work of any kind
would be announced, and all the people of the
district or place in which the temple was located
would obey that tabu until the dedication cere-
monies were all over and the words "Noa, ua
noa" were used, meaning that the tabu was over
and everything could be freely done as before.

In this temple the chief placed his friend and
guardian, Kahilona, who had cared for him
from his babyhood as his priest and teacher.
Kahilona was the priest of this temple. It was
said that Kahilona prepared a chant for temple
building. It has come down from ancient times
and is as follows:

"Gone is the little house,

The little house,
Gone is the large house,

The large house,
Gone is the short house,

The short house.
Gone is the Uttle house,
From Maiuu to Maaa-e.
Let this be commenced.

Build, with the soft beat of the drum,
With the murmur of the voice of the gods,
With the low whine of the dog,
With the low grunt of the pig,
And the soft whispers of men.

Here am I, Kahilona,

The teacher of prayer,

Proclaimed by Kahilona."

THE CANNIBAL DOG-MAN 93

The name given to this temple was Ka-he-iki.
A kupua who was a dog-man overthrew the
government of this adopted child of the gods,
and became the ruling power between Nuuanu
VaUey and the sea. His own house and heiau
were at Lihue (a place toward the Waianae
Mountains). It was said that this kupua never
attacked or injured any members of the family
of the very high chief or king of the island
Oahu, but he was a cannibal, and many of the
people were killed and eaten by him. He could
appear at will either as a man or a dog.

His name was Kaupe. After he had eaten
some of the people of Oahu he went over the
water to eat the men of Maui, and then went
on to Hawaii, where he captured the son of one
of the high chiefs and carried him back to Oahu,
putting him in the temple at Lihue to keep him
there until the time came for a human sacrifice.
Then the boy was to be killed and laid on a
platform before the gods of that dog-man.

The father of that boy left Hawaii to follow
him to Oahu, thinking there might be some way
of saving his son. If he failed he could at least
die with him. When that father came to Oahu
he very quietly landed and looked for some one
to give him aid. After a time he met Kahilona,
the caretaker of the temple of the Menehunes,
and told him all his trouble.

94 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

The priest taught the father the proper incan-
tations by which he could get his boy away from
the magic power of Kaupe, and save both him-
self and his boy. Then he also taught the father
a prayer which he was to use if Kaupe should
learn of their escape and pursue them.

At night he went near to that temple at Lihue
repeating the chant which Kahilona had taught
him. He watched for the signs which the priest
had told him would show the place where the
boy was kept, and followed them carefully. He
continually repeated his chant until he came in-
side the walls and found the dog asleep guarding
the boy. The father slipped in, cautiously
aroused the boy, and unfastened the cords which
bound him. Then they carefully passed the
dog, guarded by the incantation:

"O Ku! O Lono! O Ka-ne! O Kanaloa!
Save us two. Save us two.''

Thus they passed out of the temple and fled
toward the temple Ka-he-iki.

While they were running a great noise was
heard far behind them. The dog had been
awakened, and had discovered the escape of his
prisoner. Then, like a whirlwind, he had rushed
around the temple and found the direction in
which they had fled. This was the path natu-
rally taken by those leaving Oahu to escape to

MOANALUA NEAR HONOLULU

THE CANNIBAL DOG-MAN 95

Hawaii. The great dog only waited to learn the
course taken, and then rushed after them on the
wings of the wind.

The two chiefs fled, but saw that it was im-
possible to outrun the dog. Then the father
uttered the prayer which the priest had said
would save them if pursued by Kaupe. They
ran with increased strength and swiftness, but
the dog would soon be upon them. Then again
the father repeated the prayer:

"OKu! OLono! O Ka-ne! O Kanaloa!
By the power of the gods,
By the strength of this prayer,
Save us two. Save us two."

Then they foimd a great stone at Moanalua
under which they were able to hide.

The dog had only one thought, and that was
that the father and son would return to Hawaii
as speedily as possible aided by their gods, so
he rushed to the beach, leaped into the air and
flew to Hawaii.

The chiefs went to the temple Ka-he-iki, and
were gladly welcomed by the priest, Kahilona,
who taught them the prayers by which they
could overcome and destroy the dog-man.

After they were fully instructed they returned
to their home on Hawaii and waged war against
their enemy. They obeyed the directions of the
priest and finally killed Kaupe.

96

LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

But the ghost of Kaupe was not killed. He
returned as a ghost-god to the highest part of
Nuuanu Valley, where in his shadow body he
can sometimes be seen in the clouds which
gather aroimd the mountain-tops or come down
the valley. Sometimes his cloud-form is that of
a large dog, and sometimes he is very small, but
there his ghost rests and watches over the lands
which at one time he filled with terror.

Kahilona, the priest of the temple Ka-he-iki,
became the ancestor of one of the greatest of the
priestly clans of the islands — the Mo-o-kahuna
(the priests of the dragon) class of Oahu, noted
for their abUity to read the signs of sky and sea
and land.

XIV
THE CANOE OF THE DRAGON

KOA-TREES, out of which the finest and
most enduring calabashes of the old Ha-
waiians were made, grew near the ocean's sandy
shore. The koa-trees from which canoes were
carved and burned were, according to some wise
plan of Providence, placed on rough precipitous
moimtain-sides or on the ridges above precipices.

The fierce winds of the mountains and the habit
of bracing themselves against difficulties made
the canoe trees crossgrained and slow in growth.
The koa was the best tree of the Hawaiian Islands
to furnish the curled, twisted, and hard-grained
wood needed in canoes which were beaten by
overwhelming surf waves, rolled over sandy
beaches, or smashed against coral or lava reefs.

From the time the canoe was cut in the moun-
tains and was dragged and rolled over lava beds
or sent crashing down steep mountain-sides to
the time it lay worn out and conquered by the
decay of old age it was always ready to meet the
roughest kind of life into which its maker and
owner could force it to go.

The calabash used in the plains and in the

98 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

mountains came from a tree grown in beautiful
lines by the sea. The canoe came from the hard
mountain-koa far from its final workshop. There
were gods, sacrifices, ceremonies, priests and even
birds in the rites and superstitions of the canoe-
makers. Kupulupulu was the god of the koa
forest. Any wanderer in the woods was in the
domain of the god. It was supposed that every
rustUng footstep was heard by most acute ears,
and every motion of the hand was watched by
the sharpest eyes. Dread of the unseen and un-
heard made every forest rover tremble until he
had made some proper offering and uttered some
effective incantation.

The ceremony and the wages of the priest who
went up the mountain to select a koa-tree for
canoe-cutting were like this: First he found
a fine-appearing tree which he thought would
make the kind of canoe desired. Then he took
out his fire-sticks and rubbed rapidly until he had
sparks of fire in the wood-dust of his lower stock.
He caught the fire and made a burning oven
(imu), heated some stones, cooked a black pig
and a chicken, and prepared food for a feast,
and then prayed:

"O Kupulupulu — the godl
Here is the pig,
Here is the chicken,
Here is food.

THE CANOE OF THE DRAGON 99

O Kupulupulu!

O Kulana wao!

O Ku-ohia laka!

O Ku waha ilo!

Here is food for the gods."

The aumakuas, or spirits of ancestors, were
supposed to join with the gods of the prayer in
partaking of the shadow of the feast, leaving the
substance for the canoe-makers.

After the offering and prayer the priests ate
and then lay down to sleep until the next day.
In the morning after another feast they began to
cut the tree.

David Malo, in his "Hawaiian Antiquities,"
said that the priest took his stone axe and called
upon the female deities of the canoe-cutters
thus:

"O Lea and Ka-pua-o-alakai!
Listen now to the axe.
This is the axe which is to cut the tree for the canoe."

Another account says that when the canoe
priest began to cut the tree and also as long as
they were chopping it down they were talking
to the gods thus:

"OKuAkua! O Paapaaina!
Take care while the tree is falling,
Do not break our boat,
Do not let the tree smash and crack."

lOO LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

When the tree began to tremble and its leaves
and branches rustle, a tabu of silence was en-
joined upon the workmen, that the tree itself
might be the only one heard by the watching gods.

When the tree had fallen a careful watch was
made for Lea, the wife of Moku-halii, the chief
god of the canoe-carvers — those who hollowed
out the canoe.

It was supposed that Lea had a double body —
sometimes she was a human being and sometimes
she appeared as a bird.

Her bird body was that of the Elepaio, a httle
bird covered with speckled feathers, red and
black on the wings, the woodpecker of the Hawai-
ians.

"When she calls she gives her name 'E-le-pai-o,
E-le-pai-o, E-le-pai-o!' very sweetly."

If she calls while the tree is being cut down
and then flies gently down to the fallen tree and
runs up and down from end to end, and does
not touch the tree, nor bend the head over, strik-
ing the wood, then that tree is sound and good
for a canoe.

But if the goddess strikes the tree here and there
it is rotten and of no use, and is left lying on the
ground.

David MaIo,as translated by Dr. Emerson, says:

"When the tree had fallen the head priest
mounted the trunk, axe in hand, and called out in

THE CANOE OF THE DRAGON loi

a loud voice, ' Smite with the axe, and hollow the
canoe! Give me my malo!'

"The priest's wife would hand him a white
ceremonial malo with which he girded himself —
then walked along the tree a few steps and called
out in a loud voice, ' Strike with the axe, and hol-
low it! Grant us a canoe!'

"Then he struck a blow on the tree with the
axe. This was repeated until he reached the point
where the head of the tree was to be cut off.
Here he wreathed the tree with the ieie vine,
repeated a prayer, commanded silence, and cut
off the top of the tree.

"This done, the priest declared the ceremony
performed and the tabu lifted."

Then the priests took their stone adzes, hol-
lowed out the canoe on the inside, and shaped it
on the outside until in its rough shape it was
ready to be dragged by the people down to the
beach and finished and polished for its work in
the sea.

Ka-hanai-a-ke-Akua was a chief living near
Kou (the ancient name of Honolulu). His name
meant "The one cared for by the gods."

He lived in the time when gods and men
mingled freely with each other and every tabu
chief was more or less of a god because of his
high birth.

His priests went up Nuuanu Valley to a place

102 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

on the side where forests covered a small valley
rimning into the side hills of the larger and more
open valley. Great koa-trees fit for canoe-mak-
ing were fomid in this forest. However, this
part of the valley belonged to the eepa people —
the deformed or ill-shaped gnomes of woodland
or plain. Sometimes they seemed to be crippled
and warped in mind as well as in body. They
could be kind and helpful, but they were often
vindictive and quarrelsome. There were also
ferocious mo-o,or dragon-gods, watching for prey.
Travellers were destroyed by them. They some-
times appeared as human beings, but were always
ready to become mo-os.

One of these gods came down to the place
where the priests were cutting the koa canoe for
the high chief. He watched the ceremonies and
listened to the incantations while the tree was
being cut down. He tried to throw obstacles in
the way of the men who were steadily breaking
chips from the tree-trimk. He directed the force
of the wind sweeping down the valley against
them. He sent black clouds burdened with
heavy driving rain. He made discouraging
omens and sent signs of failure, but the priests
persevered.

At last the tree fell and was accepted. It was
speedily trimmed of its branches, cut roughly to
the required shape and partly hollowed out.

THE CANOE OF THE DRAGON 103

Then cocoanut ropes and vines were fastened
around it, and the people began to pull it down
the valley to the harbor of Kou (Honolulu).

As they started to drag the log over rough
lava ridges outcropping along the valley-side
they found their first effort checked. The log
did not move down into the valley. Rather, it
seemed to go up the hillside. The god caught
one end and pulled back. Another mighty effort
was put forth and the canoe and the god slipped
over the stones and partly down the hillside.
But the dragon-god braced himself again and
made the canoe very heavy. He could not hold
it fast and it came down to the men. It was
very difficult to drag it through the forest of the
valley-side or the thickets of the valley, so the
men pulled it down into the rough, rocky bed of
the little stream known as Nuuanu River. It
was thought that the flowing water would help the
men and the slippery stones would hinder the god.

Down they went pulling against each other.
The god seemed to feel that the struggle under
such conditions was hopeless, so he let go of the
canoe and turned to the flowing water.

Beautififl waterfalls and cascades abound all
along the course of this mountain stream. It is
fed by springs and feathery waterfalls which
throw the rainfall from the tops of the moun-
tains far down into the valley.

I04 LEGENDS OP HONOLULU

The god hastened along this water course,
stopped up the springs, and turned aside the
side streams, leaving the bed of the river dry.
Then he hastened down once more, caught the
canoe, and pulled back. It was weary, discour-
aging work, and the chief's people became very
tired of their struggle. The night came when
they were still some distance from the sea.

They had come to a place known as Ka-ho-o-
kane in the very heart of modern Honolulu, a
little back of the old Kaiunakapili Church, the
brick church with two spires which was burned
by the great fire which destroyed so much of the
business portion of Honolulu in the time of the
plague. In this place there were sharp turns,
steep banks and great stones. Here the dragon-
god fought most earnestly and wedged the log
fast in the rocks.

The task had become so difficult and it was so
dark that the high chief allowed his priests to
call the people away, leaving the log in the place
where the last struggle was made. It was a gift
to the mo-o, the dragon, and was known as "The
canoe of the dragon-god." It is said that it lies
there still, changed into a stone, stuck fast among
the other huge stones among which the water
from the mountains finds its way laughing at
the defeat of the canoe-makers.

THE WONDERFUL SHELL 105

XV

THE WONDERFUL SHELL

NEAR Niolapa, on the eastern side of Nuuanu
Valley, is the stone where Kapimi rested
when he came after the shell known as the
Kiha-pu. Kapimi was a child of Kanhola, who
was said to have been a chief, who was born, was
walking and had grown up, had become a father,
a grandfather, and had died, all in one day.
Kapmii was born in Waipio Valley, and was
placed in the temple Pakaaluna and was made a
god.

Two gods came from Puna. They were
Kaakau and Kaohuwalu. They waited above
Hakalaoa looking down into Waipio. There they
saw Kapimi leaping. He touched a branch of a
kukui-tree and fell down. He leaped again and
touched the short top branches of the kukui and
fell down.

Kaakau said to Kaohuwalu, "Suppose we get
Kapuni to go with us as our travelling com-
panion, one with us in fierce storms or the cold,
heavy dews of night."

Kaohuwalu assented, and they arose and went
down. They called to Kapuni, asking hkn to

Io6 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

leap up. He tried again and again and always
fell back.

Kaakau caught him as he fell and cut off part
of his body because he was too heavy, then he
could fly to the sky and return again.

Kaakau asked him how he was succeeding. He
replied, "Very well indeed; I am swift in flight."
Then Kaakau said, "Will you go with us on a
journey?" Kapuni said, "Yes."

They went away to the lands of Kahiki and
returned to Kauai. From there they heard the
wonderful voice of a shell sounding from the
temple Waolani in Nuuanu VaUey near Honolulu.

Kapuni said, "What is that thing which makes
such a soimd?"

Kaakau said, "That is a shell which belongs
to the eepa [distorted gnomes], the people of
Waolani, Oahu."

"I want that shell very much," said Kapimi.
Kaakau told him that the task would be very
difficult and dangerous, for the shell was guarded
by watchmen from hill to hill, from the sea to the
summit of the valley, and along all the pathways
to the neighboring villages.

The gods, however, crossed the channel to
Oahu, and rested at night above Kahakea. Here
was a temple above Waolani. It was upon a hill.
In it was a noted drum. The name of that temple
was Pakaaluna. Kapuni told his friends to stay

THE WONDERFUL SHELL 107

there waiting for him. If he did not return be-
fore the red dust of the dawn was in the sky they
would know he was dead. If he returned he
would have the shell.

Then he went near to the prison enclosure out-
side the temple. Here he waited by a rock for
aU the watchmen on the high places around the
temple to fall asleep. When the stars arose in
the heavens above Nuuanu and all were sound
asleep he entered the temple and took the shell.
He flew away and found his companions.

They made a great jump and leaped to Kalaau
Point. As they flew over the water to Molokai
the shell touched the top of a wave and sang
with a clear voice.

The god of Waolani Temple heard the shell
singing, leaped up, and foimd that it had been
stolen. He rushed from the temple, flew over
the Nuuanu precipice and out into the channel
from which he had heard the sound.

Kapimi hid among the waves, the shell gave
up its song. The god of Waolani went back and
forth over the water, but could find nothing.

When he gave up the search Kapuni went on
to Molokai and then to Maui and Hawaii. When
flying across the channel between Maui and
Hawaii the shell struck a high wave and broke
off a corner.

When they were on the hills of Hawaii they

Io8 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

foxmd the temple built at Hainoa. There the
gods of Hawaii were gathered together.

They began their watch. When the night was
almost over and the dawn was touching the sky
they found the thief. These men followed the
thief and caught his master in a cave, all wrinkled
from drinking much awa.

They took the master and the dog to the king
Kiha as prisoners, and the king planned to have
them steal that shell which troubled him. If
they failed they should be put to death. This
was the sentence of the king upon his prisoners.

The master talked with Yellow Flower, his
dog, and told him all the word of the king. They
planned to pay for the theft of the awa, but not
by the death of their bones.

The dog went out to win the shell from the
gods under cover of the night, when the darkness
was great and all kinds of shell voices were sing-
ing with aU other voices of the woodland and
wilderness.

Then came the resounding voice of that shell
blown by the gods. According to an ancient
chant, "The song of Kiha-pu calls Kauai,"
meaning the song is listened to from far distant
Kauai.

The dog ran swiftly while the sound of the shell
was great, and hid in a corner of a stone wall of
the heiau. He waited and waited a long time.

THE WONDERFUL SHELL 109

The dawn was almost at hand. Then the
watchers fell into deep sleep.

Kiha was high chief of Hawaii at that time, and
had been dwelling in Waipio Valley, cultivating
his plant, planting awa, and building a temple
for his gods.

When that temple was finished and the tabu
of silence lifted from all the surrounding country
he went to Kawaihae and built another temple,
estabUshing another altar for his gods. He
placed the usual tabu upon all the land around
Kawaihae.

But the tabu was broken by the sound of that
shell blown by the gods of the Hainoa Temple.
He was very much troubled, but the gods were
too strong for him. At last help came to him
from Puapualenalena (The yellow flower), a dog
belonging to a master who had left his home
in Niihau some time before.

Pupualenalena (The yellow flower) was seek-
ing his master, and found him on the uplands of
Hawaii.

The dog excelled in his skill as a thief, steal-
ing pigs, chickens, tapa cloth, all kinds of prop-
erty for his master.

The master told that dog to get the tabu awa
roots of the king, which were growing on the
hillsides of Waipio Valley.

When that place was stripped, he sent the dog

no LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

to the precipices of Waitnanu, and he took nearly
all that was there.

Then the king commanded his people to watch
the awa fields and catch the one who was stealing
his growing awa.

The dog crept softly inside, seized the shell
and slipped it away from its place, then leaped
over six walls of the heiau, but touched the
seventh and outside wall. Then the shell sang
out loud and clear.

The gods were aroused. They followed, but
the dog leaped into a pool of water and con-
cealed himself and the shell while the gods
dashed by. They searched the road toward
Waipio, then rushed toward the Kona district.

The dog flew from the pond down the preci-
pice of Waipio Valley and laid the shell at the
feet of Kiha, the king of Hawaii.

The dog and his master were given a high
place in the affections of the king.

The shell was renowned for its wonderful
sound, and could call the warriors of the king
from any distance when the king caused it to
be blown. It was known as Kiha's shell, the
KUia-pu.

This shell was carefully preserved by the
chiefs of Hawaii from that ancient time. Gen-
eration after generation it was cared for. In the
time of Kamehameha III. it was kept in his

TBE WONDERFUL SHELL

III

palace. It was among the treasures of King
Kalakaua, and now has its resting-place in the
hands of ex-Queen Liliuokalani in Honolulu.

When Kapuni died, his bones were worshipped
as one of the gods, kept at Kaawaloa until the
tabu and the temples were overthrown.

112 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

XVI

THE GHOST DANCE ON PUNCHBOWL
Ka Hula O Na Aumakua

PUNCHBOWL lies back of Honolulu. It is
an extinct volcano. Inside the crater rim
lies a basin whose sides are grass-covered, with
groups of trees here and there. The little
houses and small gardens of squatters show that
there is no longer any fear of subterranean activ-
ity. A large part of the city of Honolulu is
built on what were once the brown, desolate
sides of the volcano sloping down to the sea.

Punchbowl is one of the last attempts of the
goddess of fire to retain her hold on the island
of Oahu. The great ridge of movmtains which
forms the backbone of the island is a gigantic
remnant of volcanic action, but the craters out
of which this vast mass of lava was poured died
centiuies before the foothill craters threw out
the last black sand of Pxmchbowl or uplifted the
coral and white sea sand and shells of Leahi, or
Diamond Head.

Curious and weird tales are told concerning
these two small, picturesque volcanoes of the
city which in modern tropical luxuriance is one

THE GHOST DANCE ON PUNCHBOWL 113

of the most beautiful spots in the Pacific Ocean.
Near the foot of Diamond Head, and not far
from the caves which burrow its sides, was the
heiau (temple) which was one of the last to be
glutted with human sacrifices. Its altars were
loaded with bodies of dead men when Kame-
hameha brought his warriors from Hawaii and
Maui and with much bloodshed conquered Oahu
and unified the Islands imder one government.
On the brow of Diamond Head, fronting the sea,
are the remains of a small fish-god temple
within the walls of which the less cruel offerings
were made to Kuula to secure his favor in secur-
ing food from the sea. Battles were fought and
noted deeds of daring done both east and west
of this prominent crater.

The summit of Punchbowl is crowned with a
bold, frowning pile of perpendicular rocks. On
the top of this pile peculiar human sacrifices are
said to have been offered from time to time.

The natives whisper a story that one of the
last kings of the Kamehameha family, in a
drimken fit, so seriously injured his son that
ultimately death resulted. The crazed father
planned an expiation. The word was quietly
passed that no one was to move far away from
his home that night. There was an air of mys-
tery around the city. What happened was
never accurately known, but a fire burned on

114 LEGENDS OP HONOLULU

the high rock, and the smoke fell around it that
night. It was hinted that a drunken sailor might
easily have disappeared while staggering through
the dark shadows, and be but little missed.

But back in the olden time there was laid the
foundation for a legend which in these later days
becomes a good folk-lore tale. Many of the
Hawaiians of to-day believe in the continual
presence of the amnakuas, the spirits of the
dead. In time past the aumakuas were a pow-
erful reality. An ancestor, a father or a grand-
father, a makua, died. Sometimes he went to
Po, the under-world, or to Milu, the shadow-
land, or to Lani, the Hawaiian heaven, and
sometimes he remained to be a torment or a
blessing to his past friends.

In Samoa, Turner says that the aumakuas
were supposed to come back from the under-
world and enter into the bodies of those they
wished to trouble. They might find a home in
the stomach or heart or bowels, but wherever
they found an abiding-place the spirit produced
disease and death. If a man was dying, his neigh-
bors desired to be on good terms with him and
di^ all they could to make him comfortable.

This is very much like the power of praying to
death among the Hawaiians. The spirit of some
dead person was supposed to be the real destruc-
tive agent in putting to death the one prayed

THE GHOST DANCE ON PUNCHBOWL 115

against. The aumakua (the ancestor spirit) was
more powerful than any Hving human force.

In Tahiti the oro-matuas (aumakuas) were very
maUgnant, cruel and relentless in punishing those
who incurred their displeasure. In all the different
groups of islands, however, the ghosts were sup-
posed to belong to particular families and to exert
their mysterious power in caring for these house-
holds. Many Hawaiian families have stories
which are still firmly believed, of special favors
granted to individuals in time of danger. A
school-boy in Hilo told the writer how his grand-
father was saved when his canoe upset, and how
he was safely brought to the land by the shark
into which the family aumakua had entered. The
story is told of a man captured in battle, tied up
in green ti leaves ready to be put into the pit full
of red-hot stones, and then set free by the owl in
which the protector of his family was dweUing.
"People sometimes gave the bodies of their
relatives to sharks in order that their spirits
might enter into the sharks, or threw them into
the crater of Kilauea, that the spirits might join
the company of volcanic deities and afterward
befriend the family."

In the indefinite long ago, Kakei was the moi,
or high ruling chief, of Oahu. He was enter-
prising and brave. He not only perfected him-
self in the use of the spear, the war-club and the

Il6 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

sling-stone, but he rallied around him the restless
young chiefs of the districts which acknowl-
edged his supremacy. His court was filled with
men who gave and received blows, who won and
lost in the many games, who were penniless to-
day and rich to-morrow, and yet took all that
came as a matter of course. Kakei called these
yoimger chiefs together and told them to return
to their districts for a time and make preparations
for a voyage and a battle. They must see that
many new canoes were made and the best of the
old ones repaired and repolished. They must
select the bravest and best of their retainers
and have them well armed and well provisioned.
He hinted that it might be a long journey, there-
fore they had better provide strong mat sails
for all the canoes. It might be many days, there-
fore the provisions should be such as would last.
At once the young men with great joy hastened
to their homes to obey the will of their chief.

It was impossible to keep the people from
talking about the expedition. Excitement pre-
dominated. The shrill voices of the women
shouted the news from valley to valley. The
hum of imwonted industry was heard over all
the island. Imagination was keenly intent to
discover the point threatened by the proposed
excursion. Night after night the people dis-
cussed the various enemies of their king, and his

THE GHOST DANCE ON PUNCHBOWL 117

prospects for successful battle with them, or
they talked of the enlargement of his kingdom
by the acquisition of Molokai or the increase of
riches by a foray along the coasts of Hawaii.
They prophesied great victories and much spoil.
Months passed by and all the preparations were
complete. A splendid body of warriors were gath-
ered around their high chief. The large flotilla
of canoes was launched, the sails set, and the
colored pennants placed at the end of each mast.
The young chiefs were brilliant in their bright
yellow and red war capes and hideous with the
war masks which many of them proudly wore
as they leaped into their canoes and shouted
"Aloha" to the friends whom they were
leaving.

As soon as the boats had left the shore the
chief turned to the north rather than to the south,
as all had been led to believe. Sails and paddles
were both used freely. The winds of the seas
and the strong arms of the oarsmen vied with
each other in hastening the fleet toward the island
of Kauai. Night crept over the waters, but the
bright stars were unclouded and the path over
the waters was as straight by night as it had
been by day.

The morning star was shining and the dawn
was painting the clear sky with wonderful tints
of pearl when Kakei and his army of warriors,

Il8 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

already on the land, raised their war-cry and
assaulted the people of the village of Waimea.

Catching war-club and spear the chief of
Waimea rushed out of his house, raising his war-
cry. His men, half-awake, confused and dazed
by the sudden attack, attempted to aid him in
resisting the invaders. The battle was short
and decisive. In a very Uttle while many people
were killed. The thatched houses were set on
fire and a great destruction wrought.

Kakei had ordered his warriors to seize the
canoes and the women and children and what-
ever plunder in calabashes, mats, kapa cloth,
stone implements and feather cloaks could be
had, and gather all together on the beach.

The captured canoes and their own great fleet
were filled and the return safely made to Oahu.
Kakei and his warriors sailed around the island
to Honolulu Harbor. There the beach was cov-
ered with the new riches and the captive women
and children. The king ordered a great feast to
be prepared on the slopes of Punchbowl Hill.
Fish in abimdance were caught, pigs and chickens
were slaughtered, many ovens with red-hot stones
were made ready, and huge dishes of awa pre-
pared.

Kakei and his victorious warriors gathered
around the poi-bowl, while the hula-girls danced
most joyously before them.

THE GHOST DANCE ON PUNCHBOWL 119

Suddenly the earth shook under them, the poi-
bowls rocked as if tossed on the waters of the
sea, the feast which had been spread before
them moved from place to place as if made of
things of life. The rocky cliffs of Punchbowl
began to rend apart and come crashing down
the hillside in great masses. The people fled in
every direction, leaving a part of their number
crushed under the falling stones.

Then came another mighty earthquake. The
side of Punchbowl Hill opened and a flood of
lava pornred out, mixed with clouds of bursting
masses of steam and foul gases. Down over the
place where the feast was spread on the luau
mats poured the fire. The feast became the
food of the fire-goddess. Then a wonderful
thing appeared above the flowing lava, in the
midst of the clouds hovering over the crater.
A number of the aumakuas of Kauai were seen
in a solemn and stately dance. Back and forth
they moved to the rhythm of steady peals of
bursting gases. The clouds swayed to and fro,
while the ghosts moved back and forth among
them. The spirits of the ancestors had come to
protect the women and children of the house-
holds whose friendly deities they were. It was
the ceremonial, sacred dance of the spirits, to be
followed by swift pimishment of those who had
brought such great injury to Kauai.

I20 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

But whEe the ghosts continued their awful
dance, the terrified king and his warriors hastily
prepared a propitiation. The captured women
and children were called to the beach. All the
plunder brought from Waimea was hastily col-
lected and placed in the hands of the captives.
The kahunas {i.e., the priests of the king) were
sent to the slope above Punchbowl Hill to cry
out to the aumakuas that all the reparation
possible would be made at once.

The warriors placed the captives and their
goods in canoes, and started back to Kauai.
As the canoes passed out of sight the earth-
quakes ceased. No longer was there the thunder
of imprisoned gases leaping to liberty. The
fires died away, and the flood of lava cooled.
The aiunakuas had accepted the offered re-
pentance of the king and his warriors.

It is said that the fire never again returned to
that crater or to the island of Oahu.

THE BIRD-MAN OF NUUANU VALLEY 121

XVII

THE BIRD-MAN OF NUUANU VALLEY

History repeats itself the world over. Recently the
bird-men visited Hawaii and gave exhibitions of flying in
aeroplanes. According to old Hawaiian traditions, how-
ever, there were bird-men in Hawaii before the white man
came, as the following translation from one of the old
legends will illustrate.

"VTAMAKA was a noted man of the time of
-^ ^ Kalaniopuu. He was born on Kauai, but
left Kauai to find some one whom he would like
to call his lord.

When he found Hinai, the high chief of
Waimea, Hawaii, he told him what he could do.
He was skilled in managing land (Kalai-aina).
He was an orator (Kakaolelo), and could recite
genealogies (Kaauhau). He excelled in spear-
throwing (lonomakaihe), boxing or breaking the
back of his opponent (lua), leaping or flying (lele)
and astronomy (kilo). All this he had learned
on Kauai.

He came from Kauai first to Oahu. In Nuu-
anu Valley he met Pakuanui, a very skilful
man, a fine orator and boxer. He was the father
of Ka-ele-o-waipio, a noted man of the time of

122 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

Kamehameha, who was said to have made a
chant for the missionaries at Kailua.

Toward the upper end of Nuuanu Valley is
the place Ka-hau-komo, where spreading hau-
trees cluster on both sides of the road. Here
Namaka and Pakuanui had a contest.

They prepared themselves for boxing and
wrestling, and then faced each other to show
their skill and agihty.

This man from Kauai appeared like a rain-
bow bending over the hau-trees, arched in the
red rain, or in the mist cloud over the Pali, as
he circled around Pakuanui. He was like the
ragged clouds of LanihuU, or the wind rushing
along the top of the Pali. His hands were like
the rain striking the leaves of the bushes of
Malailua. He was so swift and strong that he
could catch Pakuanui on any part of his body.

The man of Oahu could not catch or hold
Namaka. That Kauai man was as slippery as
an eel, and as hard to hold as certain kinds of
smooth, sUmy fish, always escaping the hands of
Pakuanui. But he could strike any place. The
hill of the forehead he struck. The hill of the
nose he caught. There was no place he could
not touch. It was a whirlwind around a man.
However, he did not try to kill Pakuanui. He
wished only to show his skill.

Pakuanui was very much ashamed and angry

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THE BIRD-MAN OF NUUANU VALLEY 123

because he could not do anything with Namaka,
and planned to kill him when they should go to
the Pali (precipice of Nuuanu Valley), to which
they were going after the boxing contest.

When they came to Kapili, the very top of the
Pali, a very narrow place, Pakuanui said to
Namaka, "You may go before me."

Namaka passed by on the outside and Paku-
anui gave him a kick, knocking him over the
Pah, expecting him to be dashed to pieces on
the rocks at the foot of the precipice.

But Namaka flew away from the edge of the
Pali. The people who were watching said: "He
went off. He flew off from the Pali like an lo
bird, leaping into the air of Lanihuli, spreading
out his arms like wings. When the strong wind
twisted and whirled, Namaka went up like a
kite, Ufted up on the wind."

There is frequently a beautiful little waterfall
on the western side of the precipice, where a
brooklet starts on its way to the ocean. There
right at the foot of the great precipice stands
a grove of silver-leaved kukui-trees. The legends
say that when the wind turned and blew strongly
against and up the face of the Pah, Namaka
flew with it, and hung among the kukui branches
below that Kttle waterfall.

Then he leaped to the ground and went away
to Maui. The older natives sometimes remem-

124 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

ber this wonderful flight of the man from Kauai
who was skilful in leaping and fl5dng from the
edge of precipices.

At Pohakuloa, on Maui, Namaka leaped down
some precipices, showing his strength and skill.
In other legends skilful chiefs were described as
having almost miraculous power in leaping down
very high places without injury.

When Namaka came to Hawaii, Kalaniopuu
was king. He liked him very much and hoped
to have him as his lord. However, another man
from Kauai was a favorite with the king. He
knew Namaka, and was afraid that he might be
supplanted when the king should learn about
Namaka's wonderful powers, so he gave no wel-
come to Namaka, but turned him away.

Namaka went to Waimea and found Hinai,
the high chief of that place, a near relative to
Kalaniopuu. He told Hinai what he could do,
and was made a favorite of the high chief.

He taught Hinai how to be very skilful in all
his arts, and especially in leaping from precipices.
He hoped that Hinai's skill would be noised
abroad, and the king would hear and choose
to have the teacher come to live with him.

Hinai became very proficient, and even won-
derful, in standing on the edge of high precipices
and leaping down unhurt. These places have been
pointed out to the young people by their parents.

THE BIRD-MAN OF NUUANU VALLEY 125

When the Kauai favorite of Kalaniopuu heard
that there was a very skilful man from Kauai
stopping with the high chief of Waimea, he
told the king that an enemy from Kauai was
in Waimea.

The king Ustened to this man when he charged
Namaka with trying to make his relative Hinai
so skilful in leaping down high places that he
could always escape any attempt to injure him.

The favorite said: "This man, Namaka, can
fly over mountains and streams and precipices
and plains and not be killed. He is a rebel
against your kingdom."

Kalaniopuu commanded some men to go and
kill this stranger from Kauai, telling them to
begin war upon Hinai if he opposed their attempt
to arrest the stranger.

Namaka had prepared his house by digging in
the ground and making a pit under it, with a
hole and an opening some distance from it.

The warriors from Kalaniopuu surrounded the
house, thinking he was inside. They consulted
about the best method of killing him, and de-
cided to burn him up. They set fire to the
house and destroyed it entirely. They believed
this stranger had been burned to death.

Namaka easily escaped from Hawaii and
crossed over to Maui, where he remained some
time, but he found no one whom he wished to

126 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

take as his lord. Then he went to Oahu, and
at last returned to his home on Kauai.

There he became a prophet and uttered his
decision about the chiefs of Hawaii, whom he
had considered superior to Maui and Oahu, but
he did not think them equal to the royal family
of Kauai.

He said: "There is no ruling chief in Hawaii
who can step his foot on the tabu sand of Kaha-
maluihi [Kauai]. There is no war canoe or
divine chief who can come to Kauai unless a
treaty has been made between the two ruling
chiefs."

The natives call this a prophecy of the skilled
chief who could fly from Nuuanu Pali, and
think it was fulfilled because Kamehameha never
conquered Kauai, but secured it by concession
from its king.

THE OWLS OF HONOLULU 127

XVIII
THE OWLS OF HONOLULU

'TpHERE are three celebrated "owl" localities
A in the suburbs of Honolulu. One is at
Waikiki, one in Manoa Val-
ley, and the third near the
foot of Punchbowl Hill.

Near the foot of Punchbowl
the man lived who became the
friend of the owl-god.

In Manoa the owl-god lived,
and at Waikiki the famous
"battle of the owls" was
fought.

Manoa Valley is one of the
most beautiful rainbow valleys
in the world. The highest
peaks of the island of Oahu
are near the head of the valley.
The winds which blow down
the Pacific Ocean from the
northeast strike these moun-
tain-tops. Each cool breeze
leaves its burden of moisture
in a fleecy cloud to fall down the mountain-side
into the valley. So cloud follows cloud, de-

128 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

scending the slopes of the foothills in gentle
rain.

Almost all day long the valley is open to the
sun, which, looking on the luxuriant verdure and
cUnging mist, sends its abimdant blessing of
penetrating light, and rainbows upon rainbows
are painted on the steep precipices at the head of
the valley. There are arches and double arches
of exquisite beauty, smashed fragments of scat-
tered color, broad pillars of glorious fire blazing
around green branches of ghost-like trees, great
bands of opal hues lying in magnificent masses
on the hillside, and lunar rainbows almost cir-
cular outlined in soft prismatic shades in the
time of the full moon.

When showers creep down the valley one by
one, rainbows also chase each other in matchless
symmetry of quiet, graceful motion. Sometimes
the mist in the doorway of the valley has be-
come so ethereal that splendid arches hang in the
apparently clear sky without cloud support.

It is no wonder that from time immemorial
the Hawaiians have made the valley the home
of royal chiefs, with tLe rainbow-maiden as
their daughter. The story of this child of the
skies is told in the legend Ka-hala-o-Puna (The
sweet-scented hala-flower of Puna). Woven into
this legend is also the legend of the owl-god
of the family to which this maiden belonged.

TEE OWLS OF HONOLULU 129

for his home as well as hers was in Manoa
Valley.

Almost in the middle of the valley is a hill
on which many years ago a temple was built
and dedicated as the home of the owl-god Pueo.
The hill now bears the name "Pu-u" (hill),
"Pueo" (owl)— "Puu-pueo," or "The hill of
the owl."

It was from this temple that the owl-god
rescued the rainbow-maiden three times when
she had been thrice killed and buried by her
faithless suitor, a chief of Waikiki.

Ka-hala (the hala flower) had followed this
chief almost to the lower end of the valley, but
she became weary. The angry chief struck her
with a bunch of hala nuts, killed her, and buried
her under a mass of leaves and dirt near the
spot called Aihualama. Pueo, the owl-god, had
carefully watched the journey of this one of his
people. When he saw her struck down he
hastened to the spot swiftly, dashed aside the
dirt, pulled out the body, and carried it in his
claws back to the head of the valley, where by
charms and incantations he healed her woimded
head and restored her to life. Soon her beauty
came back to her and surrounded her so that
she walked as if encompassed with rainbows.
Again the Waikiki chief, to whom she had been
affianced by her parents, came after her. Again

130 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

he became angry because she grew weary
in the new way by which he led over a
high ridge dividing Manoa from a neighboring
valley.

A second time he seized a bunch of hala nuts
swinging on their long stems, and with this as
a club struck her on the head, killing her. He
covered the body with ferns and vines and went
away. The watching owl-god took the body
tenderly, cared for it, and restored it to life.
Once more the radiance of a divine chiefess
rested in rainbows around the girl and her
Manoa Valley home.

The third time the chief called for her she
obeyed with trembling, and followed him up
the ahnost precipitous sides of Manoa Valley,
over ridges, across valleys and turbulent streams
until they came to the ridge by the Waolani
Temple in Nuuanu Valley. There he killed her
and buried her. But Pueo scratched away the
leaves and dirt, and again gave her hfe.

At the head of Manoa Valley are many water-
falls pouring down the precipices. The longer
and most feathery of these falls are said to be
the tears of Ka-hala as she suffered from the
attacks of the faithless chief of Waikiki.

Pueo, the owl-god, was also Pueo-alii, or "king
of owls." He had kahunas (priests) who con-
sulted him by signs, and the aumakua, or ghost

THE OWLS OF HONOLULU 13 1

gods, sometimes oracles. He was thought to be
chief of leading his army of ghosts along the hill-
side under the Puuhonua Temple, the place now
known as the Castle home.

From his own residence on Owl's Hill he gov-
erned all the valley, apparently with much wis-
dom. It was said that one of the natives in
the valley displeased him. He captured the
man and at once ordered the death penalty,
calling him a rebel. The man secured the atten-
tion of the owl-god for a moment, and presented
the plea that he ought to be permitted to say
something for himself before he was punished.
This seemed reasonable. The execution was de-
layed; the man proved that he was innocent of
the charge against him. The owl-god estab-
lished a law that a person must be proved guilty
before he could be condemned and pimished.
This came to be a custom among the Hawaiians
as the years passed by.

The legends say that the fairy people, the
Menehunes, built a temple and a fort a little
farther up the valley above Puu-pueo, at a place
called Kukaoo, where even now a spreading hau-
tree shelters under its branches the remaining
walls and scattered stones of the Kukaoo Temple.
It is a very ancient and very noted temple site.
Some people say that the owl-god and the fairies
became enemies and waged bitter war against

132 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

each other. At last the owl-god beat the drum
of the owl clan and called the owl-gods from
Kauai to give him aid.

They flew across the channel in a great cloud
and remforced the owl-god. Then came a fierce
struggle between the owls and the little people.
The fort and the temple were captured and the
Menehunes driven out of the valley.

Another legend says that the battle was
between the little people and Kualii, a noted
chief of Oahu, of comparatively recent date.

The lover of folk-lore would probably prefer
to believe that owls and elves fought this un-
canny battle.

The second legendary owl locality is found
near the foot of Punchbowl Hill, near the school-
buildings at the head of Fort Street.

Honolulu as the name of even a village was

not known. Apparently there were very few

people living along the watercourse coming down

Nuuanu Valley. It may have been that even

"Kou," the ancient name for Honolulu, had not

been heard. At any rate, the seacoast was a

place of growing rushes and nesting birds. A

dry heated plain almost entirely destitute of

trees extended up to the foothills. Taro patches

and little groves of various kinds of trees bordered

each watercourse. The population was small

and widely scattered. There was a legend of a

THE OWLS OF HONOLULU 133

band of robbers which infested this region. It
was almost a "desolate place."

Down Pauoa Valley dashes a stream of beauti-
ful clear water. This passes along the eastern
edge of a small extinct crater known as Punch-
bowl Hill, whose ancient name was Puu-o-wai-na.
The water from this stream was easily diverted
into choice taro patch land. Here not far from
the upper end of Fort Street at Kahehuna lived
a man by the name of Kapoi.

His grass house was decaying. The thatch was
falling to pieces. It was becoming a poor shelter
from the storms which so frequently swept down
the valley. Kapoi went to the Kewalo marsh
near the beach, where tall pili grass was growing,
to get a bundle of the grass to use for thatching.
He found a nest of owl's eggs. He took up his
bundle of grass and nest of eggs and returned
home.

In the evening he prepared to cook the eggs.
"With his fire-sticks he had made a fire in his
small imu, or oven. An owl flew down and sat
on the wall by the gate. Kapoi had almost
finished wrapping the eggs in ti leaves and was
about to lay them on the hot stones when the
owl called to him: "O Kapoi! Give me my
eggs."
Kapoi said, "How many eggs belong to you?"
The owl replied, "I have seven eggs."

134 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

Then Kapoi said, "I am cooking these eggs
for I have no fish."

The owl pleaded once more: "O Kapoi! Give
me back my eggs."

"But," said Kapoi, "I am already wrapping
them for cooking."

Then the owl said: "0 Kapoi! You are heart-
less, and you have no sorrow for me if you do
not give back my eggs."

Kapoi was touched, and said, "Come and get
your eggs."

Because of this kindness the owl became
Kapoi's god, and commanded him to build a
heiau (temple) and make a raised place and an
altar for sacrifice. The name of the place
where he was to build his temple was Manoa.
Here he built his temple. He laid a sacrifice
and some bananas on the altar, established the
day for the tabu to begin and the day also when
the tabu should be lifted.

This was talked about by the people. By
and by the high chief heard that a man had built
a temple for his god, had made it tabu and had
lifted the tabu.

Kakuhihewa was living at Waikiki. He was
the king after whom the island Oahu was named
Oahu a Kakuhihewa (The Oahu of Kakuhihewa).
This was the especial name of Oahu for centuries.
Kakuhihewa encouraged sports and games, and

THE OWLS OF HONOLULU 135

agriculture and fishing. His house was so large
that its dimensions have come down in the
legends, about 250 x 100 feet. Kakuhihewa was
kind, and yet this offence of Kapoi was serious
in the eyes of the people in view of their ancient
customs and ideas. Kakuhihewa had made a law
for his temple which he was building at Waikiki.
He had estabUshed his tabu over all the people
and had made the decree that, if any chief or
man should build a temple with a tabu on it
and should lift that tabu before the tabu on the
king's temple should be over, that chief or
man shoidd pay the penalty of death as a
rebel.

This king sent out his servants and captured
Kapoi. They brought him to Waikiki and placed
him in the king's heiau Kapalaha. He was to
be killed and offered in sacrifice to the offended
god of the king's temple.

The third legendary locality for the owl-gods
was the scene of the "battle of the owls." This
was at Waikiki. Kapoi was held prisoner in the
Waikiki heiau. Usually there was a small, four-
square, stone-walled enclosure in which sacrifices
were kept until the time came when they should
be killed and placed on the altar. In some such
place Kapoi was placed and guarded.

His owl-god was grateful for the return of the
eggs and determined to reward him for his kind-

136 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

ness and protect him as a worshipper. In some
way there must be a rescue. This owl-god was
a "family god," belonging only to this man and
his immediate household. According to the
Hawaiian custom, any individual could select
anything he wished as the god for himself and
family. Kapoi's owl-god secured the aid of
the king of owls, who lived in Manoa Valley
on Owl's Hill. The king of owls sent out a
call for the owls of all the islands to come and
make war against the king of Oahu and his war-
riors.

Kauai legends say that the sound of the drum
of the owl-king was so penetrating that it could
be heard across all the channels by the owls on
the different islands. In one day the owls of
Hawaii, Lanai, Maui and Molokai had gathered
at Kalapueo (a place east of Diamond Head).
The owls of Koolau and Kahikiku, Oahu, gathered
together in Kanoniakapueo (a place in Nuuanu
Valley). The owls of Kauani and Niihau
gathered in the place toward the sunset — Pueo-
hulu-nui (near Moanalua).

Kakuhihewa had set apart the day of Ka-ne —
the day dedicated to the god Ka-ne and given his
name — as the day when Kapoi should be sac-
rificed. This day was the twenty-seventh of
the lunar month. In the morning of that day
the priests were to slay Kapoi and place him

TBE OWLS OF HONOLULU 137

on the altar of the temple in the presence of the
king and his warriors.

At daybreak the owls rallied around that
temple. As the sim rose, its light was obscured.
The owls were clouds covering the heavens.
Warriors and chiefs and priests tried to drive
the birds away. The owls flew down and tore
the eyes and faces of the men of Kakuhihewa.
They scratched dirt over them and befouled
them. Such an attack was irresistible — Ka-
kuhihewa's men fled, and Kapoi was set free.

Kakuhihewa said to Kapoi: "Your god has
'mana' — that is, miraculous power; greater than
my god. Your god is a true god."

Kapoi was saved. The owl was worshipped
as a god. This also was Ku-kana-kohi. The
legends do not clearly state whether this was the
name of the owl-god or the name of the battle.
The place of that battle was "Kukaeunahio ka
pueo," or "The confused noise of owls rising
in masses."

138 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

XIX
THE TWO FISH FROM TAHITI

OTRANGERS to Hawaiian history should
^ know that to the Hawaiians Tahiti meant
any far-away or foreign land. Tahiti belongs to
the Society Islands. Centuries ago it was one
of the points visited by the Vikings of the Pacific,
the Polynesian sea-rovers, among whom certain
chiefs of the Hawaiian Islands were not the least
noted. They sailed to Tahiti and Samoa and
other islands of the great ocean and returned
after many months, celebrating their voyages
in personal chants.

Thus the names of places many hundreds of
miles distant from the Hawaiian group were
recorded in the chants and legends of the most
famous families of Hawaiian chiefs and kings.
Some of the names brought back by the wanderers
appear to have been given to places in their own
homeland. A large district on the island of
Maui, where, it is said, the friends of a Viking
would gather for feasting and farewell dancing,
was named Kahiki-nui (The great Tahiti).
("T" and "K" are interchangeable.) A point
of land not far from this district was called Ke-

THE TWO FISB FROM TAHITI 139

ala-i-kaMki (The way to Tahiti). These names
are not of recent antiquity, but lie in the scenes
described by roving ancestors noted in geneal-
ogies of long ago. Probably about the same time
that the Vikings of Scandinavia were roaming
along the Atlantic coasts the Pacific seamen
were pressing from group to group among the
Pacific islands.

After many voyages and many years probably
the people who never wandered became careless
concerning the specific name of the place to
which any of their friends had sailed, and com-
prised the whole outside world in the compre-
hensive declaration, "Gone to Tahiti" (Kahiki).
At any rate, this has been the usage for some cent-
uries among the Hawaiian legend tellers.

The story I am about to tell you came to me
as a marvellous, mysterious, miraculous myth
of the long ago, when strange powers dwelt in
both animals and men, and when cannibalism
might have been carried on to be reported
later under the guise of eating the flesh of beast
or fish. In the long ago there were two "fish"
crossing the trackless waters of the Pacific Ocean.
Their home was in one of the far-away lands,
known as Tahiti. These " fish ' ' were great canoes
filled with men. They decided that they would
like to visit some of the lands about which they
had heard in the legends related by their fathers.

140 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

They knew that certain stars were always in
certain places in the sky during a part of every
year. By sailing according to these stars at night
and the sun by day they felt confident that they
could find the wonderful fire-land of Hawaii about
which they had been taught in the stories of re-
turned travellers. So the two "fish" — the two
boats — after weary days and nights of storm and
calm, of soft breeze and strong, continuous winds,
found the northeast side of the island of Oahu
with its rugged front of steep, precipitous hills.
The travellers landed first on a point of land ex-
tending far out into the sea, terminating in a
small volcano. Here they made examination
of the unfriendly coast and decided to journey
entirely around the island, one fish, or boat,
going toward the north and the other toward the
south. They were apparently intending to pass
around the island and find an appropriate location
for a settlement. Possibly they planned to make
a permanent home or hoped to meet some group
community into which they might be absorbed.
The point of land which marked the separation
of the two companies is called Makapuu. The
boat which sailed toward the north found no
good resting-place until it came to the fishing-
village of Hauula. The stories told by the old
natives of the present time do not give any details
of the meeting between the strangers and the

TBE TWO FISH FROM TAHITI 141

people residing in the village. Evidently there
was dissension and at last a battle. The whole
story is summed up by the Hawaiian legend in
the saying: "The fish from Tahiti was caught
by the fishermen of Hauula. They killed it and
cut it up into pieces for food." Thus the visitors
found death instead of friendship, and cannibalism
was thereby veiled by calling the victims "fish"
and the victory a "catch."

The custom of hiding hints of cannibalistic
feasts and more definite human sacrifices under
the name of "fish" continued through the cent-
uries even after the discovery of the islands by
Captain Cook and the advent of white men.
David Malo, a native writer, who, about the
year 1840, wrote a concise sketch of Hawaiian
history and customs, described the capture of
human sacrifices by the priests when needed for
temple worship. He says: "The priest con-
ducted a ceremony called Ka-papa-ulua. It was
in this way: The priest accompanied by a num-
ber of others went out to sea to fish for ulua
with hook and line, using squid for bait. If they
were unsuccessful and got no ulua they returned
to land and went from one house to another,
shouting out to the people within and telling
them some lie or other and asking them to come
outside. If any one did come out, him they
killed, and, thrusting a hook in his mouth, car-

142 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

ried him away to the heiau [temple]." This
sacrifice was called ulua, and was placed before
the god of the temple as if it were a fish. Some-
times a part of the body, usually an eye, was
eaten during the ceremonies of consecrating the
offering to the idol. This custom has passed the
test of centuries and probably was the last rem-
nant of cannibaUsm in the Hawaiian Islands.
It endured even to the time of the abolition of
the temples and their idols.

The second fish from Tahiti had gone on
southward in its journey around the island of
Oahu. It passed the rough and desolate craters
of Koko Head on its eastern end of the island.
It swam by Diamond Head and the beautiful
Waikiki Beach. Either the number of the in-
habitants was so large that they were afraid to
make any stay or else they preferred to make
the complete circuit of the island before locat-
ing, for they evidently made only a very short
stay wherever they landed, and then hurried on
their journey. By the time they reached Kaena,
the northwestern cape of Oahu, they were evi-
dently anxious concerning their missing com-
panions. Not a boat on the miles of water
between Kaena and Kahuku, the most northerly
point on the island. The legend says that the
fish changed itself into a man and went inland
to search the coast for its friend, but the search

THE TWO FISH FROM TAHITI 143

was unsuccessful. It was now a weary journey
from point to point, watching the sea and ex-
ploring all the spots on the beach wherever it
seemed as if there was any prospect of finding
a trace of their expected friends. Wherever a
break in the coral reef permitted their boat to
approach the land they forced their way to
shore. Then when the thorough search failed
again, the boat was pushed out over the line
of white inrolling breakers to the great sea until
at last the Tahitians came to Kahuku.

Now they appeared no longer as a "fish," but
went to the village at Kahuku as men. They
made themselves at home among the people and
were invited to a great feast. They heard the
story of a battle with a great fish at Hauula and
the capture of the monster. They heard how it
had been cut up and its fragments widely dis-
tributed imong the villages on the northwest
coast. Evidently provision had been made for
several great feasts. The people of Kahuku,
although several miles distant from Hauula, had
received their portion. The friendly strangers
must share this great gift with them. But the
men from Tahiti with heavy hearts recognized
the fragments as a part of their companion.
They could not partake of the feast, but by
kindliness and strategy they managed not only
to decline the invitation, but also to secure some

144 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

portions of the flesh to carry down to the sea.
These were thrown into the water, and immedi-
ately came to life. They had the color of blood
as a reminder of the death from which they had
been reclaimed. Ever after they bore the name
"Hilu-ula," or "the red Hilu."

Then the "fish" from Tahiti went on aromid to
Hauula. They went up to the tabu land back of
Hauula. They pulled up the tabu flags. Then
they dammed up the waters of the valley above
the village xmtil there was sufficient for a mighty
flood. The storms from the heavy clouds drove
the people into their homes. Then the Tahitians
opened the flood-gates of their mountain reser-
voir and let the irresistible waters down upon
the village. The houses and their inhabitants
were swept into the sea and destroyed. Thus
vengeance came upon the cannibals.

The Tahitians were "fish," therefore they
went back into the ocean to swim aroimd the
islands. Sometimes they came near enough to
the haimts of fishermen to be taken for food.
They bear the name "hilu." But there are two
varieties. The red hilu is cooked and eaten,
never eaten without having felt the power of
fire. The trace of the cannibal feast is always
over its flesh. Therefore it has to be removed
by purification of the flames over which it is
prepared for food. The blue hilu, the natives

POI POUNDER

THE TWO FISH FROM TAHITI 145

say, is salted and eaten uncooked. Thus the
legend says the two fish came from Tahiti, and
thus they became the origin of some of the
beautiful fish whose colors flash like the rainbow
through the clear waters of Hawaii.

Another legend somewhat similar to this is
told by the natives of Hauula. There is a valley
near this village called Kaipapau (The valley of
the shallow sea) . Here lived an old kahuna, or
priest, who always worshipped the two great
gods Ka-ne and Kanaloa. These gods had their
home in the place where the old man continu-
ally worshipped them, but they loved to go away
from time to time for a trip around the island.
Once the gods came to their sister's home and
received from her dried fish for food. This they
carried to the sea and threw into the waters,
where it became alive again and swam along the
coast while the gods journeyed inland. By and
by they came to the little river on which the old
man had his home. The gods went inland along
the bank of the river, and the fish turned also,
forcing their way over the sand-bank which
marked the mouth of the little stream. Then
they went up the river to a pool before the place
where the gods had stopped. Ever since, when
high water has made the river accessible, these
fish, named ulua, have come to the place where
the gods were worshipped by the kahuna and

146 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

where they rested and drank awa with him.
When the gods had taken enough of the awa of
the priest they turned away with the warning
that when he heard a great noise on the shore
he must not go down to see what the people
were doing, but ask what the excitement was
about, and if it was a shark or a great fish he
was to remain at home. He must not go to
that place.

A few days later a big wave came up from the
sea and swept over the beach. When the water
flowed back there was left a great whale, the
tail on the shore and the head out in the sea.
The people came to see the whale. They thought
that it was dead. They played on its back and
leaped into the deep waters from its head.
Their shouts of joy and loud laughter reached
the ears of the priest, who was living inland.
Then the people came to the riverside to gather
vines and flowers with which to make wreaths.
Probably it was the intention of the villagers to
cut the great fish into pieces and have a feast.
The old priest was very anxious to see the mar-
vellous fish. He forgot the warning of the gods
and went to the seaside. The people shouted
for the old man to come quickly. The old
priest stood by the tail of the great fish. As if
to welcome him the tail moved. He climbed on
the back and ran to the head and leaped into

THE TWO FISH FROM TAHITI 147

the sea. The people cheered the priest as he
returned to the beach and a second time ap-
proached the whale. Again there was the motion
of the tail, and again the priest ran along the
back, but as he leaped the whale caught him
and carried him away to Tahiti. Therefore a
name was given to a point of land not far from
this place — the name "Ka-loe-o-ka-palaoa'^
("The cape of the whale").

148 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

XX

IWA, THE NOTABLE THIEF OF OAHU

IN ancient Hawaii thieving was an honorable
profession. It required cultivation as well as
natural ability. Even as late as the days of
Captain Cook and his discovery of the Hawaiian
Islands there is the record of a chief whose
business was to steal successfully. When Cap-
tain Cook discovered the island Kauai, a chief
by the name of Kapu-puu (The Tabu-hill) was
one of the first to go out to the ships. He went
saying, "There is plenty of iron [hao]. I will
'hao' [steal] the 'hao,' for to 'hao' [to plunder]
is my livelihood" — as one historian expressed
the saying: "To plunder is with me house and
land." The chief, however, was detected in the
act and was shot and killed. The natives never
seemed to blame Captain Cook for the death of
that chief. The thief was unsuccessful. Really,
the sin of stealing consisted in being detected.

The story of Iwa, the successful thief, is back
in the days when Umi was king of Hawaii, four-
teen generations of kings before Kamehameha
the First. The king Umi was well known in
Hawaiian historical legends, and many important

IWA, THE NOTABLE THIEF 149

events are dated with his reign as the reference-
point.

In Puna, Hawaii, while Umi was king, there
lived a fisherman by the name of Keaau. He
was widely known for his skill in fishing with a
wonderful shell. It was one of the leho shells,
and was used in catching squid. Its name was
Kalo-kuna. Keaau always returned from fishing
with his canoe full. After a time he was talked
about all around the island, and Umi heard about
the magic leho of the fisherman.

At that time Umi dwelt in Kona, where he
was fishing after the custom of those days. He
sent a messenger commanding the fisherman to
bring his shell to Kona, where he could show its
power and his skill. Then the king, who had
the right to take all the property of any of his
subjects, took the shell from the fisherman.

Keaau's heart became very sore for the loss
of his shell, so he went to a man on Hawaii who
was skilled in theft and asked him to secretly
steal the leho and return it to him. He brought
his canoe filled with his property — a pig, some
fruit and awa and the black-and-white and
spotted tapa sheets — to give to the thief who
could get back his shell. But neither this thief
nor any others on the islands of Hawaii, Maui
or Molokai was suflSciently skilful to give him
any aid.

ISO LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

Then he passed on to Oahu, where he met a
man fishing, who, according to the custom of
the people, invited him to land and accept hos-
pitality. When the feast was over, they asked
him the object of his journey. He told the story
of the loss of his leho, and said that he was
travelling to find "a thief able to steal back the
shell taken by the strong hand of the chief of
Hawaii."

Then the Oahu people told him about Iwa
and his marvellous skill in plundering. They
directed him to row his canoe around by Ma-
papo and then land, and he would find a boy
without a malo, or girdle. He must give him the
offering — the good things brought in the canoe.
He found the boy and placed before him the
gifts. They killed the pig and cooked it over
hot stones. Then they had a feast, and the boy-
thief asked the traveller why he had come to him.
The fisherman told all his trouble and asked Iwa
to go with him to recover the shell. To this
Iwa consented, and after a night's rest prepared
to go to Hawaii.

When the time came for the journey he placed
Keaau in front and took his place to steer and
paddle. The name of his paddle was "Kapahi,"
which means "Scatter the water." Iwa told the
fisherman to look sharp at the land before them;
then he talked to his paddle, saying, "Let the

IWA, THE NOTABLE THIEF 151

ocean meet the sea of Iwa." He struck his
paddle once into the sea and the canoe rushed
by the little islands along the coast and passed
to Niihau. From Niihau in four paddle-strokes
the canoe lay before the coast of Hawaii, where
Umi and his chiefs were fishing. One of the
canoes had a pakn-branch house built over it to
shade its fisherman. Iwa asked if that was the
royal canoe, and, learning that it was, quickly
backed his canoe around a headland and pre-
pared to dive, saying to his friend, "I will go
and steal that leho."

He leaped into the water and sank to the
bottom of the ocean. He walked along under
the sea aided by his magic power until he came
to the place where the king's canoes were float-
ing. Over the side of the king's boat hung the
cord to which the shell was fastened. Iwa rose
quietly imder the canoe and caught the leho,
slowly drew it down to the bottom, broke the
cord and fastened it to sharp rocks, and then
went back to the place where Keaau was wait-
ing for him. All along the way giant squid and
devilfish fought him and tried to take the shell
from his hands, but by incantations and the
power of his gods he escaped to the canoe, and,
leaping in, gave the leho to the fisherman, and
paddled away to Puna. There he dwelt with
Keaau for a little while.

152 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

When the boy-thief took the cord of Umi he
thought that a very great squid had seized the
shell, and let the line run, afraid lest it might
break and the shell be lost, but when he tried
to pull he found it fast below. He sent to the
land for all the people who could dive, but none
of them could go to the bottom. Ten days and
ten nights he waited on his canoe. Then he
sent over all the island Hawaii for those who
knew how to dive in deep water, but all the
noted divers failed. The messenger came to the
place where Iwa was staying. Keaau was away
fishing. Iwa took the messenger to the place
where the fisherman dried squid and showed him
a great many already caught. Then Iwa said,
"Go back and tell your king that the leho is
not on the line, but a rock is holding it fast."

The messenger returned to the king and re-
ported the saying of Iwa. Then the king sent
swift men to run and bring Iwa to him. The
boy agreed to go to Umi, and hastened more
swiftly than the runners sent for him. When he
stood before Umi he told the king all his story
and leaped into the sea, diving down, breaking
the rock and bringing up the piece to which the
line had been tied. Umi then wanted Iwa to
return to Puna and steal that leho for him.
Iwa went back to the fisherman's house, and
that night stole the shell for the king.

IWA, THE NOTABLE THIEF 153

When Umi received the shell he rejoiced
greatly at the skill of this thief. Then he
thought about his tabu stone axe in Waipio
Valley, and wished to test this boy-thief again.

This sacred stone axe really belonged to Umi,
the son of Liloa, but it had been kept in the
tabu heiau (sacred temple) of Pakaalana, in
Waipio Valley. Two old women were guardians
of this tabu axe. It was tied fast in the middle
of a line. One end of that cord was fastened
around the neck of one old woman, and one end
around the neck of the other. Thus they wore
the leis, or garlands, of that sacred stone axe of
Umi. When Umi asked the thief if he would
steal this axe, Iwa said he would try, but he
waited until the sim was almost down, then he
ran swiftly to Waipio Valley as if he were a
messenger of the king, calUng to the people and
establishing a tabu over the land:

"Sleep — sleep for the sacred stone axe of Umi.
Tabu — let no man go forth from his house.
Tabu — let no dog bark.
Tabu — let no rooster crow.
Tabu — ^let no pig make a noise.
Sleep — sleep till the tabu is raised."

Five times he called the tabu, beginning at
Puukapu near Waimea, as he went to the
guarded path to Waipio. When he had estab-
lished this tabu he travelled down to the place

1 54 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

where the old women guarded the axe. He
called again, "Has sleep come to you two?"
And they answered, "Here we are; we are not
asleep." He called again: "Where are you? I
will touch that sacred axe of Umi and return
and report that the hand has held the sacred
stone axe of the king."

He came near and took the axe and pulled
the ends of the string tight around the necks of
the old women, choking them and throwing them
over. Then he broke the string and ran swiftly
up the path over the precipice. The old women
disentangled themselves and began to cry out,
"Stolen is the tabu axe of Umi, and the thief
has gone up toward Waimea." The people fol-
lowed Iwa from place to place, but could not
overtake him, and soon lost him.

Iwa went on to the king's place and lay down
to sleep. As morning drew near the king's
people found him asleep and told the king he
had not been away, but when Iwa was awake
he was called to the king, who said, "Here, you
have not got the tabu stone axe."

"Perhaps not," said the boy, "but here is an
axe which I found last night. Will you look at
it?" The king saw that it was his tabu axe,
and wondered at the magic power of the thief,
for he thought it impossible to go to Waipio and
return in the one night, and he knew how diffi-

IWA, THE NOTABLE THIEF 155

cult it would be to get the axe and escape from
the people.

He determined to give Iwa another trial — a
contest with the best thieves of his kingdom.
He asked if Iwa would consent to a death con-
test. The one surpassing in theft should receive
reward. The defeated should be put to death.
This plan seemed right to the thief from Oahu.
It would be a great battle — one against six.

The king called his clan of six thieves and
Iwa, and told them that he would set apart two
houses in which they could put their plunder.
That night they were to go out and steal, and
the one whose house contained the most prop-
erty should be the victor. The report of the
contest spread all through the village, and the
people prepared to hide their property.

Iwa lay down to sleep while the six men
quietly and swiftly passed among the people,
stealing whatever they could. When they saw
Iwa asleep they pitied him for his certain death.
Toward morning their house was almost full, and
still Iwa slept. The six thieves were very tired
and hungry, so they prepared a feast and awa.
They ate and drank until overcome with drunk-
enness; a little before dawn they also fell asleep.

Iwa arose, hastened to the house filled by the
six thieves, and hastily removed all their plun-
der to his own house. Then he went quietly to

IS6 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

Umi's sleeping-house, and, showing his great
skill, removed the tapa sheets from the bed in
which the king was sleeping, and piled them on
the other things in his house. Then he lay
down again as if asleep.

The morning cold fell on the king, and he was
chilled, and awoke, feeling for the sheets, but
could not find them. He remembered the con-
test, and as the daylight rested upon them he
called the thieves together.

They went to the house of the six thieves and
opened it to look for their plunder, and not one
thing was there. It was entirely empty. After
this they went to Iwa's house. When the door
was open they saw the king's tapa sheets on
all the other plunder. The six thieves were put
to death, and Iwa was honored for some years
as the very dear friend of the king and the most
adroit thief in the kingdom.

After a time he longed for the place of his
birth, and he asked Umi to send him back to his
parents. Umi filled a double canoe with good
things and let him go back to the green-sided
pali, or precipices, of the district of Koolau, on
the island Oahu.

PI KOI THE RAT-KILLER 157

XXI

PIKOI THE RAT-KILLER

IN the long, long ago of the Hawaiian Islands,
part of the children of a chief's family might
be born real boys and girls, while others would
be "gods" in the form of some one of the various
kinds of animals known to the Hawaiians.
These "gods" in the family could appear as
human beings or as animals. They were guar-
dians of the family, or, perhaps it should be
said, they watched carefully over some especial
brother or sister, doing all sorts of marvellous
things such as witches and fairies like to do for
those whom they love.

In a family on Kauai six girl-gods were born
and only one real girl and one real boy. These
"gods" were all rats and were named "Kikoo,"
which was the name of the bow used with an
arrow for rat-shooting. They were "Bow-of-
the-heaven," "Bow-of-the-earth," "Bow-of-the-
mountain," "Bow-of-the-ocean," "Bow-of-the-
night" and "Bow-of-the-day."

These rat-sister-gods seemed to have charge of
their brother and his sports. His incantations
and chants were made in their names. The real

IS8 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

sister was named "Ka-ui-o-Manoa" ("The
Beauty of Manoa"). She was a very beautiful
woman, who came to Oahu to meet Pawaa, the
chief of Manoa Valley, and marry him. He
was an "aikane," a "chief like a brother," to
Kakuhihewa, the king of Oahu. They made
their home at Kahaloa in Manoa Valley. They
also had Kahoiwai in the upper end of the valley.

The boy's name was Pikoi-a-ka-Alala (Pikoi,
the son of Alala). In his time the chief sport
seemed to be hunting rats with bows and
arrows. Pikoi as a child became very skilful.
He was very clear and far sighted, and surpassed
all the men of Kauai in his ability to kill hidden
and far-off rats. The legends say this was
greatly due to the aid given by his rat-sisters.
At that same time there was on Kauai a very
wonderful dog, Pupualenalena (Pupua, the
yellow). That dog was very intelligent and
very swift.

One day it ran into the deep forest and saw a
small boy who was successfully shooting rats.
The dog joined him. The dog caught ten rats
while Pikoi shot ten.

Some days later the two friends went into a
wilderness. In that day's contest the dog caught
forty and the boy shot forty. Again and again
they tried, but the boy could not win from the
dog, nor could the dog beat the boy.

PIKOI THE RAT-KILLER 159

After a while they were noted over all Kauai.
The story of the skill of Pikoi was passed over
to Oahu and repeated even to Hawaii. His
name was widely known, although few had seen
him.

One day his father Alala told Pikoi that he
wanted to see his daughter in Manoa Valley.
They launched their canoe and sailed across the
channel, leaving the marvellous dog behind.

Midway in the channel Pikoi cried out: "Look!
There is a great squid! " It was the squid Kaka-
hee, who was a god. Pikoi took his bow and
fitted an arrow to it, for he saw the great creature
hiding in a pit deep in the coral. The great
squid rose up from its cave and followed the
boat, stretching out its long arms and trying to
seize them. The boy shot the great monster,
using the bow and arrow belonging to the ocean.
The enemy died in a very little while. Tliis
was near the cape of Kaena. The name of the
land at that place is Kakahee. These monsters
of the ocean were called Kupuas. It was be-
lieved that they were evil gods, always hoping
to inflict some injury on man.

Pikoi and his father landed and went up to
Manoa Valley. There they met Ka-ui-o-Manoa
and wailed in their great joy as they embraced
each other. A feast was prepared, and all
rested for a time.

l6o LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

Pikoi wandered away down the valley and
out toward the lands overlooking the harbor of.
Kou (Honolulu). On the plain called Kula-o-ka-
hua he saw a chiefess with some of her people.
This plain was the comparatively level ground
below Makiki Valley. Apparently it was cov-
ered at that time with a small shrub, or dwarf-
like tree, called aweoweo. Rats were hiding
under the shelter of the thick leaves and
branches.

Pikoi went to the place where the people were
gathered. The chiefess was Kahamaluihi, the
wife of the king Kakuhihewa. With her was
her famous arrow-shooting chiefess, Ke-pana-
kahu, who was shooting against Mainele, the
noted rat-shooter chief of her husband. The
queen had been betting with Mainele and had
lost because he was a better hunter that day
than her friend. She was standing inside tabu
lines imder a shaded place, but Pikoi went
inside and stood by her. She was angry for a
moment, and asked why he was there. He
made a pleasant answer about wishing to see
the sport.

She asked if he could shoot. He repUed that
he had been taught a little of the art, so she
offered him the use of a bow and arrow.

He said, "This arrow and this bow are not
good for this kind of shooting."

PI KOI THE RAT-KILLER i6i

She laughed at him. "You are only a boy;
what can you know about rat-hunting? "

He was a little nettled, and broke the bow and
arrow, saying, "These things are of no use what-
ever."

The chiefess was really angry, and cried out,
"What do you mean by breaking my things, you
deceitful child?"

Meanwhile Pikoi's father had missed him and
had learned from his daughter that the high
chiefess was having a rat-shooting contest. He
took Pikoi's bows and arrows wrapped in tapa and
went down with the bundle on his back.

Pikoi took a bow and arrow from the bundle and
persuaded the high chiefess to make a new wager
with Mainele. The queen, in kindly mood,
placed treasure against treasure.

Mainele prepared to shoot first, agreeing with
Pikoi to make fifteen the number of shots for the
first trial.

Pikoi pointed out rat after rat among the shrubs
until Mainele had killed fourteen. Then the
boy cried: "There is only one shot more. Shoot
that rat whose whiskers are by a leaf of that
aweoweo tree. The body is concealed, but
I can see the whiskers. Shoot that rat, O
Mainele!"

Mainele looked the shrubs all over carefully,
but could not see the least sign of a rat. The

l62 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

people went near and thrust arrows among the
leaves, but could see nothing.

Then Mainele said: "There is no rat in that
place. I have looked where you said. You
are a lying child when you say that you see
the whiskers of a rat."

Pikoi insisted that the rat was there. Mainlee
was vexed, and said: "Behold all the treasur le
have won from the chiefess and the treasure which
we are now betting. You shall have it all if you
shoot and strike the whiskers of any rat in that
small tree. If you do not strike a rat I will
simply claim the present bet."

Then Pikoi took out of the bundle held by his
father a bow and an arrow. He carefully strung
his bow and fixed the arrow, pointing the eye of
that arrow toward the place pointed out before.

The queen said, "That is a splendid bow."
Her caretaker, however, was watching the beau-
tiful eyes of the boy, and his general appearance.

Pikoi was softly chanting to himself. This
was his incantation or prayer to his sister-gods:

"There he is, there he is, O Pikoi!
Alala is the father,
Konkou is the mother.
The divine sisters were bom.
O Bent-bow-of-heaven!
O Bent-bow-of-earth!
O Bent-bow-of-the-mountain!
Bent-bow-of-the-ocean!

PIKOI THE RAT-KILLER 163

O Bent-bow-of-the-night!
O Bent-bow-of-the-day!

O Wonderful Ones!

O SUent Ones!
Silent.
There is that rat —
That rat in the leaves of the aweoweo,
By the fruit of the aweoweo,
By the trunk of the aweoweo.
Large eyes have you, O Mainele;
But you did not see that rat.
If you had shot, O Mainele,
You would have hit the whiskers of that rat —
You would have had two rats — two.
Another comes — three rats — three!"

Then Mainele said: "You are a lying child.
I, Mainele, am a skilful shooter. I have struck
my rat in the mouth or the foot or any part of
the body, but no one has ever pierced the whisk-
ers. You are trying to deceive."

Pikoi raised his bow, felt his arrow, and said
to his father, "What arrow is this?"

His father replied, "That is the arrow Mahu,
which eats the flower of the lehua-tree."

Pikoi said: "This will not do. Hand me an-
other." Then his father gave him Lau-kona
(The arrow which strikes the strong leaf), but
the boy said: "This arrow has killed only
sixty rats and its eye is smooth. Give me one
more."

His father handed him the Huhui (The

l64 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

bunched together), an arrow having three or four
sharp notches in the point.

Pikoi took it, saying, "This arrow wins the
treasure," and went toward the tree, secretly
repeating his chant.

Then he let the arrow go twisting and whirl-
ing around, striking and entangling the whiskers
of three rats.

Mainele saw this wonderful shooting, and de-
livered all the treasures he had wagered. But
Pikoi said he had not really won until he had
killed fourteen more rats, so he shot again
a very long arrow among the thick leaves of
the shrubs, and the arrow was full of rats
strung on it from end to end hanging on it by
forties.

The people stood with open mouths in silent
astonishment, and then broke out in wildest en-
thusiasm.

While they were excited the boy and his father
secretly went away to their home in Manoa
Valley and remained there with "The Beauty of
Manoa" a long time, not visiting Waikiki or the
noted places of the island Oahu.

Kakuhihewa, the king, heard about this strange
contest and tried to find the wonderful boy. But
he had entirely disappeared. The caretaker of
the high chiefess was the only one who had care-
fully observed his eyes and his general appearance,

PIKOI THE RAT-KILLER 165

but she had no knowledge of his home or how he
had disappeared.

She suggested that all the men of Oahu be
called, district by district, to bring offerings to
the king, two months being allowed each dis-
trict, lest there should be an oversupply of gifts
and the people impoverished and reduced to a
state of famine.

Five years passed. In the sixth year the
Valley of Manoa was called upon to bring its
gifts.

Pikoi had grown into manhood and had changed
very much in his general appearance. His hair
was very long, falling far down his body. He
asked his sister to cut his hair, and persuaded
her to take her husband's shark-tooth knives.
She refused at first, saying, "These knives are
tabu because they belong to the chief." At last
she took the teeth — one above, or outside of the
hair, and one inside — and tried to cut the hair,
but it was so thick and stout that the handles
broke, and she gave up, saying, "Your hair is the
hair of a god." However, that night while he
slept his rat-sister-gods came and gnawed ofif his
hair, some eating one place and some another. It
was not even. From this the ancient saying
arose: "Look at his hair. It was cut by
rats."

Pawaa, the chief, came home and found his

1 66 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

wife greatly troubled. She told him all that she
had done, and he said: "Broken were the handles,
not the teeth of the shark. If the teeth had
broken, that would have been bad."

Pikoi's face had been discolored by the sister-
gods, so that when he appeared with ragged hair
no one knew him — not even his father and sister.
He put on some beautiful garlands of lehua
flowers and went with the Manoa people to
Waikiki to appear before the king.

The people were feasting, surf-riding and en-
joying all kinds of sports before they should be
called to make obeisance to their king.

Pikoi wandered down to the beach at Ulu-kou
(The Moana Hotel beach), where the queen and
her retinue were surf-riding. While he stood
near the water the queen came in on a great wave
which brought her before him. He asked for
her board, but she said it was tabu to any one
but herself. Any other taking that board would
be kUled by the servants.

Then the chiefess, who was with the queen
when Pikoi shot the rats of Makiki, came to the
shore. The queen said, "Here is a surfboard
you can use." The chiefess gave him her board
and did not know him. He went out into the
Waikiki Sea where the people were sporting.
The surf was good only in one place, and that
was tabu to the queen. So Pikoi allowed a

WHERE PIKOI HUNTED RATS

AT WAIKIKI (The Home of the Author)

AT MAKIKI (Home of E. D. Tenney)

PI KOI THE RAT-KILLER 167

wave to carry him across to the high waves
upon which she was riding. She waited for
him, because she was pleased with his great
beauty, although he had tried to disguise him-
self.

She asked him for one of his beautiful leis of
lehua flowers, but he said he must refuse because
she was tabu. "No! No !" she replied. "Noth-
ing is tabu for me to receive. It would be tabu
after I have worn it." So he gave her the gar-
land of flowers. That part of the surf is named
Kalehua-wike (The loosened lehua).

Then he asked her to launch her board on the
first wave and let him come in on the second.
She did not go, but caught the second wave as
he swept by. He saw her, and tried to cut
across from his wave to the next. She followed
him, and very skilfully caught that wave and
swept to the beach with him.

A great cry came from the people. "That
boy has broken the tabu!" "There is death for
the boy!"

The king, Kakuhihewa, heard the shout and
looked toward the sea. He saw the tabu queen
and that boy on the same surf-wave.

He called to his officers: "Go quickly and
seize that yoimg chief who has broken the tabu
of the queen. He shall not live."

The officers ran to him, seized him, tossed him

l68 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

around, tore off his male, struck him with clubs,
and began to kill him.

Pikoi cried: "Stop! Wait until I have had
word with the king."

They led him to the place where the king
waited. Some of the people insulted him, and
threw dirt and stones upon him as he passed.

The king was in kindly mood and listened to
his explanation instead of ordering him to be
killed at once.

While he was speaking before the king, the
queen and the other women came. One of them
looked carefully at him and recognized some
peculiar marks on his side. She exclaimed,
"There is the wonderful child who won the vic-
tory from Mainele. He is the skilful rat-
shooter."

The king said to the woman, "You see that
this is a fine-looking young man, and you are
trying to save him."

The woman was vexed, and insisted that this
was truly the rat-shooter.

Then the king said: "Perhaps we should try
him against Mainele. They may shoot here in
this house." This was the house called the
Hale-noa (Free for all the family). The king
gave the law of the contest. "You may each
shoot like the arrows on your hands [the ten
fingers] and five more — fifteen in all."

PI KOI THE RAT-KILLER 169

Pikoi was afraid of this contest. Mainele had
his own weapons, while Pikoi had nothing, but
he looked around and saw his father, Alala, who
now knew him. The father had the tapa bundle
of bows and arrows. The woman recognized
him, and called, "Behold the man who has the
bow and arrow for this boy."

Pikoi told Mainele to shoot at some rats under
the doorway. He pointed them out one after
the other until twelve had been killed.

Pikoi said: "There is one more. His body
cannot be seen, but his whiskers are by the edge
of the stone step."

Mainele denied that any rat was there, and
refused to shoot.

The king commanded Pikoi not to shoot at
any rat under the door, but to kill real rats, as
Mainele had done.

Pikoi took his bow, bent it, and drew it out
until it stretched from one side of the house to
the other. The arrow was very long. He called
to his opponent to point out rats.

Mainele could not point out any. Nor could
the king see one around the house.

Pikoi shot an arrow at the doorstep and killed
a rat which had been hiding underneath.

Then Pikoi shot a bent-over, old-man rat in
one comer; then pointed to the ridge-pole and
chanted his usual chant, ending this time:

170 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

"Straight the arrow strikes
Hitting the mouth of the rat,
From the eye of the arrow to the end
Four hundred — ^four hundred!"

The king said: "Shoot your 'four hundred —
four hundred.' Mainele shall pick them up, but
if the eye of your arrow fails to find rats, you
die."

Pikoi shot his arrow, which glanced along the
ridge-pole under the thatch, striking rat after rat
until the arrow was full from end to end, —
himdreds and hundreds.

The high chief Pawaa knew his brother-in-
law, embraced him, and wailed over his trouble.
Then, grasping his war-club, he stepped out of
the house to find the men who had struck Pikoi
and torn off his malo. He struck them one after
the other on the back of the neck, killing twenty
men. The king asked his friend why he had
done this. Pawaa replied, "Because they evilly
handled my brother-in-law, — the only brother of
my wife, 'The Beauty of Manoa.'"

The king said, "That is right."

The people who had insulted Pikoi and thrown
dirt upon him began to run away and try to
hide. They fled in different directions.

Pikoi caught his bow and fixed an arrow and
again chanted to his rat-sister-gods, ending with
an incantation against those who were in flight:

PI KOI THE RAT-KILLER 171

'Strike! Behold there are the rats — the men!
The small man,
The large man,
The tall man.
The short man.
The panting coward.
Fly, arrow! and strike!
Return at last!"

The arrow pierced one of the fleeing men,
leaped aside to strike another, passed from side
to side around those who had pitied him, strik-
ing only those who had been at fault, searching
out men as if it had eyes, at last returning to its
place in the tapa bundle. The arrow was given
the name "Ka-pua-akamai-loa," or "The very
wise arrow." Very many were punished by
this wise arrow.

Wondering and confused was the great assem-
blage of chiefs, and they said to each other, "We
have no warrior who can stand before this very
skilful young man."

The king gave Pikoi a very honorable place
among his chiefs, making him his personal great
rat-hunter. The queen adopted him as her own
child.

No one had heard Pikoi's name during all these
wonderful experiences. When he chanted his
prayer in which he gave his name, he had sung
so softly that no one could hear what he was

172 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

saying. Therefore the people called him Ka-
pana-kahu-ahi (The fire building shooter), be-
cause his arrow was like fire in its destruction.

Pikoi returned to Manoa Valley with Pawaa
and his father and sister. There he dwelt for
some time in a great grass house, the gift of the
king.

Kakuhihewa planned to give him his daughter
in marriage, but opportunity for new experi-
ences in Hawaii came to Pikoi, and he went to
that island, where he became a noted bird-
shooter as well as a rat-himter, and had his
final contest with Mainele.

Mainele was very much ashamed when the
king commanded him to gather up not only the
dead bodies of aU the people who were slain by
that very wise arrow, but the bodies of the rats
also. He was compelled to make the very
ground clean from the blood of the dead. He
ran away and hid himself in a village with people
of the low class until an opportunity came to go
to the island Hawaii to attempt a new record
for himself with his bow and arrow.

KAWELO 173

XXII
KAWELO

MANY Kawelos are named in the legends of
the islands of Oahu and Kauai, but one
only was the strong, the mighty warrior who
destroyed a gigantic enemy who used trees for
spears. He was known as Kawelo-lei-makua
when mentioned in the genealogies.

Kawelo's great-imcle, Kawelo-mahamahaia,
was the king of Kauai. The land prospered and
was quiet under him. When he died, the people
worshipped him as a god. They said he had
become a divine shark, watching over the sea-
coasts of his island. At last they thought it
had become a stone god — one point the head and
one the tail, one side red and the other black.
His grandson, Kawelo-aikanaka, who became
king of Kauai, was born the same day that
brought Kawelo-lei-makua into the world. They
were always known as Aikanaka and Kawelo.
There was also born that same day Kauahoa,
who became the giant of Kauai, and the per-
sonal enemy of Kawelo. In their infancy the
three boys were taken by their grandparents to
Wailua, and brought up near each other under
different caretakers.

174 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

Some of the legends say that Kawelo's oldest
brother, Kawelo-mai-huna, was born an eepa — a
child poorly formed, but having miraculous
powers. When born, the servants wrapped this
child in a tapa sheet and thought to bury it, but
a fierce storm arose. There were sharp light-
ning and loud thunder. Strong winds swept
around the house. So they put the bundle in
a small calabash, covered it with a feather cloak,
and hung it in the top of the house. The grand-
parents came and prophesied a marvellous future
for this child. The father started to take down
the calabash, but saw only a cloud of red feathers
whirling and concealing all the upper corner.
The old people, with heads bowed down, were
uttering incantations. There came a sound of
raindrops falling on the leaves of the forest
trees, and a rainbow stood over the door. The
voices of beautiful green birds (the Elepaio)
were heard all around, and rats ran over the
thatch of the roof. Then the old people said:
"This child has become an eepa. He will appear
as man or bird or fish or rat."

Other children were born, then Kawelo, and
last of all his faithful younger brother, Kama-
lama. The old people who took care of Kawelo
were his grandparents. They taught the signs
and incantations and magic of Hawaiian thought.
They frequently went inland to the place where

KAWELO 17s

their best food was growing. They always pre-
pared large calabashes full of poi and other food,
thinking to have plenty when they returned; but
each time all the food was eaten. They decided
that it was better to provide sports for Kawelo
than to leave him idle while they were away, so
they went to the forest with their servants and
made a canoe. After many days their work was
done, and they returned to prepare food. Poi
was made, and all kinds of food were placed in
the ovens for cooking. Then they heard a
sound like that of a strong wind tearing through
the forest. They heard the squeaking voices of
many rats. Soon they went to see the canoe in
the forest, but it was gone. They returned home
to eat the poi and cooked food, but they were
all gone — only the leaves in which the food had
been wrapped lay in the oven. Kawelo told his
grandparents that little people with rat-whiskers
had carried the boat down to the river and then
had eaten all the food. One, larger than the
others, had called to him, "E Kawelo, here is
your plaything, the canoe."

Kawelo went down to the river. All day long
he paddled up and down the river, and all day
long his strength grew with each paddle-stroke.
Thus day by day he paddled from morning until
night, and no one in all the island had such re-
nown for handhng a canoe.

176 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

The other boys were carefully trained in all
games of skill, in boxing, wrestling, spear-
throwing, back-breaking, and other athletic ex-
ercises. Kauahoa was very jealous of Kawelo's
plaything, and asked ids caretaker to make
something for him, so they made a kite (a pe-a)
and gave it to their foster-child. That kite rose
far up in the heavens. Loud were the shouts of
the people as they saw this beautiful thing in
the sky. Kawelo asked for a kite, and in a few
days took one out to fly by the side of Kauahoa's
kite. He let out the string and it rose higher and
higher, and the people cheered loudly. Kawelo
came nearer and nearer to Kauahoa and pulled
his kite down slowly and then let it go quickly.
His kite leaped from side to side, and twisted its
strings around that held by Kauahoa and broke
it, and the kite was blown far over the forest,
at a place called Kahoo leina a pe-a (The kite
falling). Kawelo said the wind was to blame,
so Kauahoa, although very angry, could find no
cause for fighting. Then the grandparents
taught Kawelo to box and wrestle and handle
the war spear. Thus the boys grew in stature
and in enmity.

After a time the king of Kauai died and Ai-
kanaka became king. The legends say the rats
warned Kawelo, and he and his grandparents
fled to the island of Oahu. The boat flew over

KAWELO 177

the sea like a malolo (flying-fish), leaping over
the waves at the strong stroke of Kawelo. The
rats under their king were concealed in the canoe,
and were carried over to the new home. Kawelo's
elder brothers and parents had been living for
some time on the beach of Waikiki near Ulukou
(the Moana Hotel site), by the mouth of the
stream Apuakehau. The grandparents took
Kawelo and Kamalama inland and found a beau-
tiful place among taro patches and cultivated
fields for their home. It was said that when they
came to the beach one young man went down into
the water and carried the canoe inland. Kawelo
called him and adopted him as one of the famUy.
The boy's name was Kalaumeke (A kind of ti
leaf). The boy said he was not as strong as
he appeared to be, for he had the aid of many
little long- whiskered people; his real power lay
in spear-throwing and club-fighting. There was
only one other young man who was his equal
— a youth from Ewa, whose name was Kaeleha.
Kawelo sent for this man and took him into his
family. They dwelt for some time, cultivating
the place where the royal lands now lie, back of
the Waikiki beach.

One day they heard great shouting and clapping
of hands on the beach, and Kawelo went down to
see the sport. His brothers had been well taught
all the arts of boxing and wrestling, and they

178 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

were very strong; but they were not able to
overthrow a very strong man from Halemanu.
Kawelo challenged the strong man. His elder
brothers ridiculed him, but Kawelo persevered.
The strong man was much larger and taller
than Kawelo. He uttered his boast as Kawelo
came before him. "Strong is the koa of Hale-
mano. The kona [wind] cannot bend it."
Kawelo boasted in reply, "Mauna Waialeale
will try against Mauna Kaala." Then the strong
man said: "When I call 'swing your hands' we
will fall against each other." With this word
he advanced and struck at Kawelo, bending him
over, but not knocking him down. Kawelo re-
turned the blow with such force that the mighty
boxer fell dead. Kawelo gave the body to the
king of Oahu to be carried as a sacrifice to
the gods in the heiau, or temple, Lualualei
in Waianae. "This is said to have been a
very ancient temple belonging to the chief
Kakuhihewa."

Kawelo's brothers were greatly mortified to
see their younger brother accomplish what they
had failed to do, so in their shame they returned
to Kauai with their parents.

The king of Oahu gave Kawelo lands. His
grandparents built him a house. It was well
thatched except the top. He was a high tabu
chief, and the kahunas (priests) said he must

KAWELO 179

finish it with the work of his own hands. This he
thought he would do with the beautiful feathers
of the red and yellow birds. He lay down and
slept. When he awoke he saw his rat brother,
who had miraculous power, finishing all the roof
with most beautiful feathers of red and gold.
The king of Oahu came to see this wonderful
place, and blessed it, and lifted his tabu from it so
that it would belong fully to Kawelo, although it
was more beautiful than that of the king himself.

Kawelo learned the hula art (dancing), and
went around the island attending all hula
gatherings until the people called him "the great
hula chief." At the village of Kaneohe he met
the most beautiful woman of that part of the
island, Kane-wahine-ike-aoha. He married her,
gave up the hula, and returned home to learn the
art of battle with spears and clubs. No one was
more strong or more skilful than his wife's father.
Kawelo sent his wife to the other side of the
island to ask her father to teach him to fight with
the war-club. She went to her father and per-
suaded him to aid Kawelo. For many days they
practised together, until Kawelo was mighty in
handling both spear and club.

After this Kawelo learned the prayers and
incantations and offerings upon which good
fishing depended. Then he took the fisherman
and went out in the ocean to do battle with a

l8o LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

great fish which had terrified the people of
Oahu many years. This was a kupua, or magic
fish, possessing exceeding great powers. As they
went out from Waikiki, with one stroke of the
paddle Kawelo sent the canoe to Kou (this
was the ancient name of Honolulu). With
another stroke he passed to Waianae, and then
began to fish from the shore to the far-out sea,
using a round, deep net. This method of fish-
ing continues to this day. A fish is caught and
a weight tied to it so that it must swim slowly.
Other fish come to see the stranger, and the
net is drawn around them. Many good fish
were caught, but the great fish did not come.
Again Kawelo came to hunt this Uhumakaikai,
but the Uhu sent fierce storm-waves against the
canoe to drive it to land. Kawelo held the boat
strongly with his paddle. Soon the Uhu ap-
peared, trying to strike the boat and upset it.
Kawelo and his fisherman carefully watched
every move and balanced the boat as needed.
Kawelo's net was in the water, its mouth open,
and its full length dragging far behind the boat.
The Uhu was swimming aroimd the net as if
despising its every motion, but Kawelo swept
the net sideways and the fish found himself
swimming into the net. Kawelo swiftly rushed
the net forward until the Uhu was fully enclosed.
Then came a marvellous fish-battle. The waves

KAWELO l8l

swept high around the boat. Kawelo and the
fisherman covered it so that the water poured
ofif rather than into it. Then the Uhu swam
swiftly out into the blue waters. The fisherman
begged Kawelo to cut the cord which held the
net. Far out they went — out to the most
distant island, Niihau. Kawelo saw a great
battle in the net which held the Uhu. There
were many fish inside attacking the Uhu. They
were a kind of whiskered fish, biting like rats,
digging their teeth into the flesh of the great
fish. Kawelo uttered incantations, and the fish
became weaker and weaker until it ceased to
struggle. Kawelo paddled with strong strokes
back to Oahu.

Meanwhile the brothers and parents, who had
gone to Kauai, were in great trouble under the
persecutions of Aikanaka and his strong man
Kauahoa. At last the mother sent the brothers
to Oahu after Kawelo. They came to Waikiki
while Kawelo was away trying to kill the Uhu.
The youngest brother, Kamalama, received
them and seijt two messengers to find Kawelo.
He recited a family chant, in which the names of
the visiting brothers as well as the name of
Kawelo's gods were honored. He charged them
to remember the brothers' names or they would
have trouble. They paddled out on the ocean
calling for Kawelo and repeating the names

l82 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

from time to time. Suddenly a high surf wave
caught their canoe and overturned it, leaving
them to struggle in the fierce waters. Soon
they saw Kawelo coming with his great fish
near his canoe. "0 Kawelo!" they cried. "We
had the names of your friends from Kauai — but
our trouble in the water made us forget." Then
Kawelo recited his chant, giving his brothers'
names and also those of the tabu gods. Only
the chiefs to whom the gods belonged could
speak their names. When Kawelo uttered their
names, the two men cried out, "Those are the
men, and Kuka-lani-ehu is their god." Kawelo
was very angry at the desecration of the name
of his family god in the mouths of the common
men. He stuck his paddle deep into the sea,
tearing the coral reef to pieces, but the great
fish caught on the coral and Kawelo could not
row to the men. They rushed their boat to the
beach and escaped. Kawelo then took a part
of the captured fish and offered it for sacrifice
in the temple at Waianae. The rest he brought
to his people at Waikiki.

As he came near the shore he called for his
spear-throwers to meet him on the beach.
Seven skilled men stood before him as he landed.
They hurled their spears at one time straight at
him, but he moved himself skilfully from side
to side and threw the ends of his malo (loin-

KAWELO 183

cloth) around them and caught them all to-
gether. Then he called his two adopted boys
to throw. This they did with great skill, but
he caught both spears in one hand. Kamalama
took two spears, and Kawelo's wife stood on one
side with a fishhook and line in her hand. As
the spears flew by her she threw out the hook and
caught each one.

The story of the Kauai trouble was soon told.
The king of Oahu furnished a large double
canoe. From his father-in-law Kawelo secured
the historic battle-sticks — war-club and spear —
with which he had learned to fight. Food in
abundance was placed on the boats, and the
household went back to Kauai to wage war with
Aikanaka and Kauahoa, stopping at the heiau
Kamaile — afterward called Ka-ne i ka pua lena
(Ka-ne of the yellow flower) — to offer sacrifices.
Some legends say this temple was at Makaha,
and that Kane-aki was the name. This Ka-ne
was one of the gods of Kawelo. Kawelo, ac-
cording to one legend, had his people tie him in
a mat as if dead as they approached Wailua, the
home of Aikanaka. The beach was covered with
people — the warriors of Aikanaka. As the double
canoe came to the beach, the people made ready
to attack. They waited, however, for the new-
comers to land and prepare for fight. This was
a formal courtesy always demanded by the ethics

l84 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

of the long ago. When all was ready, Kamalama
stood by the apparently dead body of Kawelo,
and pulled a cord which unloosed the mats.
Kawelo rose up with his war-club and spear in
hand and rushed upon the multitude. He struck
from side to side, and the people fell like the
leaves of trees in a whirlwind.

Again new bodies of warriors hastened from
Aikanaka. Kamalama, the seven spearmen and
the two adopted boys fought this army and drove
it back under a cliff where Aikanaka had his
headquarters. The seven spearmen, known in
the legends as Naulu (the seven bread-fruit
trees), were afraid and retreated to the boat.

Two noble chiefs asked Aikanaka for two
large bodies of men (two four hundreds), but
Kawelo and his handful of helpers defeated them
with great slaughter. Thus several larger bodies
of soldiers were destroyed, and Aikanaka became
cold and afraid in his heart.

Then Kahakaloa, the best-skilled in the use of
war-sticks in all the islands, rose up and went
down with the two hundred warriors to fight
with Kawelo and his family. The father-in-law
of Kawelo knew this chief well and thought that
by him Kawelo might be killed if he went to
Kauai, but Kawelo had learned strokes of the
club not understood on Kauai. Soon all the
warriors were slain, and Kahakaloa stood alone

KAWELO i8s

against Kawelo. As they faced each other Ka-
hakaloa swiftly struck Kawelo, but Kawelo while
falling gave his club an upward stroke, breaking
his enemy's arm. In the next struggle Kawelo's
swift upward stroke killed his foe.

Then Kauahoa, the strongest, tallest and
most skilful man of Kauai, arose and went
down to meet Kawelo. Kauahoa took a magic
koa-tree, root, stem and branches, for his club
with which to fight Kawelo. His heart was full
of anger as he remembered the troubles between
Kawelo and himself in their boyhood. As he
passed the multitude of his dead people he be-
came beside himself with rage and rushed upon
Kawelo. Kawelo stationed his wife on one side
with her powerful fishhooks and lines to catch
the branches of the mighty tree and hold them
fast. Some of the legends say that she was very
skilful in the use of the pekoi. This was a
straight, somewhat heavy, stick with a strong
cord fastened around the middle. It was said
that she was to throw this stick over the
branches, whirling and twisting the cord around
them, greatly entangling them, so that she could
pull the tree to one side. Kawelo ordered his
warriors to watch the spots of sunlight sifting
through the branches. As the tree was hurled
down upon them they must leap into the open
places and seize the branches, holding on as best

l86 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

they could. When the giant struck down with
his strange war-club, Kawelo's friends followed
his directions, while he leaped swiftly to one
side and ran around back of Kauahoa while he
was bending over trying to free his tree from its
troubles. Kawelo struck down with awful force,
his war-club cutting Kauahoa in pieces, which
fell by the side of the koa-tree.

Somewhere in the battles waged by Kawelo
along the coasts of Kauai he was fighting with
his giant enemy and struck his spear against the
mountain ridge at Anahola, piercing it through
and through, leaving a great hole through which
the sky is always to be seen.

Aikanaka fled to the region near Hanapepe,
where he dwelt in poverty. Kawelo divided
the districts of Kauai among his warriors. Kae-
leha received the district in which Aikanaka was
sheltered. Soon this adopted son of Kawelo
met the daughter of Aikanaka and married her.
After a while he wanted Aikanaka to again rule
the island. He proposed rebellion and told
Aikanaka that they could destroy Kawelo be-
cause he had never learned the art of fighting
with stones. He only understood the use of the
war-club and spear. They ordered the women
and children to gather great piles of stones to
hurl against Kawelo.

When Kawelo heard about this insurrection,

KAWELO 187

he was very angry. He seized his war-club,
Kuikaa, and hastened to Hanapepe. As he came
near he saw that the people had barricaded his
way with canoes, and that back of these canoes
were many large piles of stones in the care of
warriors. He raised his war-club and leaped
toward his enemies. A sling-stone struck him.
Then the stones came like heavy rain. He
dodged. He struck aside, but there were so many
that when he avoided one he would be struck by
others. He was bruised and wounded and
stunned until he sank to the ground unconscious
under the fierce shower.

The people rejoiced, and, to make death sure,
threw off the stones and beat the body with clubs
until it was cold and they could detect no sign
of breathing.

Aikanaka had built a new unu, or heiau, at
Mauilli, in the district of Koloa, but no man had
been offered as a sacrifice upon its altars. He
thought he would take Kawelo as the first himian
sacrifice. The people carried the body of Kawelo
to the pa, or outside enclosure, of the temple, but
it was dark when they arrived, and they laid the
body down, covering it with banana leaves, say-
ing they would come the next morning and place
the body on the altar, where it should lie until
decomposition had taken place.

Two watchmen had been appointed, one of

l88 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

whom was a near relative to Kawelo. He soon
discovered that Kawelo was not dead. He told
Kawelo about the plan to place him on the altar
in the morning. He covered Kawelo again,
placing his war-club by his side. In the morning
the chiefs and people came to the heiau with
Aikanaka and Kaeleha. When all were gathered
together the watchman whispered to Kawelo.
The leaves were thrown off, and Kawelo attacked
the multitude and destroyed all who had rebelled
against him.

Some of the legends say that Aikanaka had
placed Kawelo on the sacrificial platform and in
the morning had begun to offer the prayer con-
secrating the dead body to the gods, when Kawelo
struck him dead before his own altar.

When this rebellion had been overcome, Kawelo
gave a large district with good lands to the watch-
man who had befriended him. He retained his
yoimger brother Kamalama in the district of Ha-
namaulu and committed their parents to his care.

Kawelo, as was his right, ruled over all the isl-
and, passing from place to place, establishing
peace and prosperity. He made his home at
Hana, planting and fishing for himself, not
burdening chiefs or people, but beloved by all.
Thus he gained the honored name " Kawelo-Iei-
makua," which meant "Kawelo, the lei, or gar-
land, of his parents."

"CHIEF MAN-EATER" 189

XXIII

"CHIEF MAN-EATER"

"/^HIEF MAN-EATER," the cannibal, lived
^^ in the Hawaiian Islands. He was also one
of the inhabitants of mistland. Legends gathered
around him like clouds. Facts also stood out
like tall trees through the clouds. He was a real
cannibal, of whom the Hawaiians are not proud.
The Hawaiians have frequently been called
cannibals. Secretaries of the Missionary Board
under which the first missionaries came to Hawaii,
and papers of the denomination supporting that
mission, have uttered the imtruth, "The cannibals
of the Sandwich Islands would erewhile cook
and carve a merchant or marine and discourse on
the deliciousness of cold missionary." It was
a very forcible background against which to
paint moral improvement, but it was not ac-
curate. The Hawaiians claim that they never
practised cannibalism. If anything like a feast
of human flesh was partaken of, it was only in
exceedingly rare and obscure cases. And of
these only "Chief Man-eater" is accepted as an
historical fact. Legends that possibly have had
a hint of cannibalism are very few.

igo LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

It is recorded that after certain fierce battles
of the long ago, as a method of showing indignity
to dead chiefs, their bodies were baked and
thrown into the sea.

It is barely possible that the baking was fol-
lowed by cannibalism, but there is nothing in the
record beyond the suggestion of a suspicion.

The daring act of "heart-eating" is men-
tioned in Hawaiian annals. This came during
or after a battle, when two warriors had been
engaged in a hand-to-hand struggle. The vic-
tor, whose strength was almost gone, would some-
times tear out the heart of the dying opponent
and eat it on the spot. It was believed that the
strength and courage of the dead entered immedi-
ately into the living.

That the Hawaiian chiefs and priests set small
value upon life is well attested by the large
ntunber of human sacrifices required for almost
all civil and religious ceremonies. For instance,
when the famous war-god Kaili was taken to a
temple dedicated to it by Kamehameha, eleven
human victims were placed at once upon the
altar before it. When a chief desired a new
canoe a man was usually slain at the foot of the
tree from which the canoe was to be made.
Another was slain when the canoe was complete,
and others might be sacrificed at different stages
of the work. When a chief's house was to be

"CHIEF MAN-EATER" 191

erected, sometimes a victim was sacrificed and
buried at each corner, and when the house was
completed another slaughter occurred. When an
idol was to be made, substantially the same sacri-
fices accompanied the ceremony of choosing the
tree and carving the image. At certain times
the priests of all the temples demanded human
victims, and regularly appointed officers, or
man-catchers, were appointed to provide for
the sacrifice. They spared not even their own
relatives in their search. Women were almost
always exempt from this horrible termination of
life. When a battle had been fought, many
captives were sacrificed by both victor and van-
quished.

Infanticide was freely practised up to the time
of the advent of the missionaries. Even for old
people there was often but little love, and the
aged and the infirm were left to care for them-
selves, or placed on the beach for the outstretched
hands of the incoming tide.

A native historian says: "The ancient restric-
tions of chiefs and priests were like the poisoned
tooth of a reptile. If the shadow of a common
man fell on a chief, it was death. If he put on
any part of the garments of a chief, it was death.
If he went into the chief's yard or upon the
chief's house, it was death. If he stood when
the king's bathing water or his garments were

192 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

carried along, or in the king's presence, it was
death. If he stood at the mention of the king's
name in song, it was death. There were many
other offences of the people which were made
capital by the chiefs. The king and the priests
were much alike. The priesthood was oppres-
sive to the people. Hmnan victims were re-
quired on many occasions. If tabus were
violated it meant death. It was death to be
found in a canoe on a tabu or sacred day. If a
woman ate pork, cocoanuts, bananas, or certain
kind of fish or lobster, it was death."

This much, and more, of human cruelty is
acknowledged concerning the savage life of
ancient Hawaii. Nevertheless, from the be-
ginning of the earliest acquaintance of white
people with the Hawaiian not an instance or
hint of cannibalism has been known.

The idea of eating human flesh was thoroughly
repugnant. Alexander, in his brief history of
the Hawaiian people, says, "Cannibalism was
regarded with horror and detestation." Isaac
Davis, one of the first white men to make his
home in the islands, declared 'the Hawaiians
had never been cannibals since the islands were
inhabited.'

To the Hawaiian, "Chief Man-eater" was the
unique and horrid embodiment of an insane ap-
petite. He was the "Fe-fi-fo-fum" giant of the

"CHIEF MAN-EATER" 193

Hawaiian nursery. The very thought of his
worse than brutal feast made the Hawaiian
blood run cold.

One of the legends of Ke-alii-ai Kanaka (The
chief eating men) tells of the sudden appearance
on the island of Kauai, in the indefinite past, of
a stranger chief from a foreign land, with a small
band of followers. The king of Kauai made
them welcome. Feasts and games were enjoyed,
then came the discovery that secret feasts of a
horrible nature were eaten by the strangers.
They were driven from the island. They crossed
the channel to Oahu. They knew their reputa-
tion would soon follow them, so they went inland
to the lofty range of the Waianae Mountains.
Here they established their home, cultivated food
and captured human victims, until finally driven
out. Then they launched their boats and sailed
away toward Kahiki, a foreign land.

Ai-Kanaka (Man-eater) was the name given to
a bay on the island of Molokai, now known as
the leper island. Here dwelt the priest Kawalo,
who, by the aid of the great shark-god Kauhuhu,
brought upon his enemies a storm which swept
them into the sea, where they were eaten by the
subjects and companions of the shark-god.

A legend, or, rather, a genealogy, placed a
"Chief Man-eater" on the island of Hawaii, but
no hints are given of man-eating feasts, or of

194 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

journeys to other islands, and the name may
simply refer to a fierce disposition. The Oahu
chief, Ke-alii-ai Kanaka, lived some time about
the middle of the eighteenth century, as nearly
as can be estimated. Up to the middle of the
nineteenth century the accounts of "Chief Man-
eater's" deeds and the accurate knowledge of his
place of residence were quite fresh in the minds
of old Hawaiians.

It is still an undecided problem whether
"Chief Man-eater" was a foreigner or an Ha-
waiian. The difficulty that makes his foreign
birth a problem is the accepted date of the close
of all intercourse with far-away island groups,
such as Samoa and Fiji — at least three hundred
years earlier than the century assigned to Ke-
alii-ai Kanaka.

It would seem best to accept the legend that
that degenerate chief was a desperado and an
outcast from the high chief family of Waialua,
on the northwest coast of Oahu.

Ke-alii-ai Kanaka was a powerful man. He is
described as a champion boxer and wrestler. In
some way he learned to love the taste of human
flesh. When his awful appetite became known
he was driven from his home. As he passed
through the village the women who had been
his playmates and companions fled from him.
His former friends, the young warriors, called

"CHIEF MAN-EATER" 195

out "Man-eater! Man-eater!" and openly de-
spised him. In bitter anger he called the few
servants who would follow him, and fled to the
royal Waianae Mountains. Driven from his kin-
dred and friends, he buried himself and his
brutal appetite in the mountain forests.

It is possible that soon after this he visited the
island Kauai, and there passed himself off as a
chief from a foreign land. But "his hand was
against every man" and therefore "every man's
hand was against him." Finally he made his
permanent home among the Waianae Mountains,
in the range that borders Waialua.

His followers numbered only a handful, for a
single canoe brought them away from Kauai — if
his was indeed the band driven from the hos-
pitable shores of that fertile island.

" Kokoa " and " Kalo " were the names by which
he was known in his nobler young manhood, and
"Kokoa" was his name to his followers, but
he was ever after "Chief Man-eater" to the
Hawaiian world.

It was a wild and wonderfully beautiful spot
that Kokoa chose for his final home. It was a
small plateau, or mesa, of from two to three hun-
dred acres on the top of a small mountain sur-
rounded by other higher and more precipitous
cliffs. It was luxuriantly covered with tropical
growth and blessed with abundant rains. The

196 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

Hawaiians have given the name "Halemanu," or
"house of the hand," to this plateau. Its sides,
sloping down into the valleys, were so precipi-
tous as to be absolutely inaccessible. It could
be entered only along a narrow ridge. The
pandanus drooped its long leaves and aerial
rootlets along the edges. The uluhi, or tangle-
fern, massed and matted itself into a thick dis-
guise for the cannibals' secret paths through the
valleys below. Native flowers bordered the
paths and crowned the plateau, as if man's worst
nature could never wither the appeal of things
beautiful. A magnificent koa, or native ma-
hogany, tree spread its protecting branches by
the spot chosen by Kokoa for his grass house.
Kukui-trees furnished their oily nuts for his
torches. The ohia, or native apple, and the
bread-fruit and wild sugar-cane gave generously
of their wealth to the support of the cannibal
band. They easily cultivated taro, the univer-
sal native food, and captured birds and some-
times unwary hunters who penetrated the
forest recesses in search of the birds with
the rare yellow feathers. It was a beautiful
den into which, spider-like, he dragged his
victims.

Kokoa led his followers into the mountains
through winding valleys and thick forests and
sometimes in the very beds of the Waianae

"CHIEF MAN-EATER" 197

brooks to this secluded retreat lying within the
walls of one of the enormous extinct craters of
the volcanic mountains. As they entered the
valley below the plateau, one of his followers said
to another: "Our chief has found a true hiding-
place for us. Let us hope that it may not prove
a trap. If our presence here should be known
to the people of Waialua, they could easily close
the entrance to this valley with a strong guard
and drive us against the steep walls up which we
cannot climb." Kokoa only called out, "Wait,
I will protect you," then led them to the plateau
he had selected.

The ascent to the summit was along a "knife-
blade ridge" flanked by picturesque sides. For
a long distance there was only room for one man
to walk. One of the men carelessly hastened
across this causeway, bearing a heavy burden of
goods and weapons. His foot slipped. His
burden overbalanced him. The sloping side of
the ridge was covered with grass, which afforded
no foothold. In a moment the fallen man and
his burden were hurled down the slope. The
terrified friends watched the fl)Tng body in its
rapid descent, and saw it shoot out in space
over the edge of a lava cliff, and heard it strike
the broken debris at the foot.

Two of the men were at once sent back to skirt
the cUff and secure the remains of their com-

198 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

panion. The others followed Kokoa with more
careful steps.

This hill, crowned by tableland, which was to
be their home, was apparently the very centre
of volcanic activity in former days. It had
been the deposit of the last traces of the crater.
Lava and ashes had been piled up, and then
when the fires died away had been coated with
the island plant life. Here they found a fortress
that could not be assailed or approached except
by one man at a time. From this place raids
could be easily made upon the siurrounding
country. To this place they brought their cap-
tives for their inhuman feasts.

After the grass houses were built for perma-
nent shelter, Kokoa, or "Ke-alii-ai Kanaka,"
caused a great hole to be made. This was the
imu, or oven, in which the bodies of animals and
men were to be baked. A fire was built in the
bottom of the hole. Stones were placed upon
the burning wood. When these stones were
thoroughly heated and the fire had died away,
the bodies were wrapped in fragrant and spicy
leaves, laid upon the stones, and covered so that
the heat might not escape. Then water was
carefully poured down so that clouds of steam
might make tender the flesh roasting over the
heated stones. This was the ordinary Hawaiian
method of preparing fish or chickens or animals

"CHIEF MAN-EATER" 199

for their numerous feasts. It was the regular
festival preparation required by the cannibals.

After a time Kokoa and his companions took
a huge outcropping block of lava and smoothed
away the top, making a hollow ipukai, or table
dish, or, more literally, "a gravy dish," upon
which their ghastly repasts were served. This
stone table was finally rounded and its sides
ornamented by rudely carved figures. This
stone was five or six feet in circumference. Not
far from it the chief's grass house was built and
the ground prepared for the taro which should
be their daily food.

Sometimes members of the little band carried
birds which had been cunningly snared, and ex-
changed them for fish and chickens with families
living on the seashore. Sometimes the entire
band would make an attack upon a lonely
household and carry every member of it to the
mountain lair, that day after day they might be
provided with such food as would satisfy the
shameless craving of their gross appetites.

Sometimes the cannibal band met strong re-
sistance, and with their captives carried back the
dead bodies of their friends. Sometimes sickness
and death crossed the narrow ridge and struck
down some of "Chief Man-eater's" followers,
until at last Ke-alii-ai Kanaka stood alone by
the ipukai.

200 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

Alone he watched for hunters and for those
who came searching for rare plants or woods
or birds. Alone he guarded his retreat on the
tableland. He did many daring deeds and ter-
rified the people by his fabulous strength and
courage.

One day he captiured and killed a victim whom
he carried through the forest to Halemanu.

A brother of this victim discovered and fol-
lowed him to the path along the ridge. He
recognized the chief who had been driven long
before from Waialua. He knew the reputation
for boxing and wrestling which belonged to his
former leader. He went back to his village.
For a year Hoahanau gave himself up to ath-
letic training. He sought the strong men — the
boxers and wrestlers of Waialua. He visited
other parts of the island until he found no one
who could stand before him. Then alone he
sought the hiding-place of "Chief Man-eater."
He covered his lithe and sinewy body with oil,
that his enemy might not easily grasp an arm or
limb. He reached the narrow pass leading to
Halemanu.

His challenge rang out, and "Chief Man-
eater" came forth to meet him. The chief
started along the narrow path swinging a heavy
war club and flom-ishing a long spear.

Hoahanau made himself known and was recog-

"CHIEF MAN-EATER" 201

nized by the chief. Then Hoahanau made
known the terms upon which he wished to
wrestle with the chief.

"Take back your club and spear, and stand
unarmed upon your ipukai, and I will also stand
unarmed by your imu. No weapon shall be
near our hands. Then will we wrestle for the
mastery."

Aikanaka despised Hoahanau, whose strength
he had well known in the past. He believed
that he could easily overcome the daring man
who stood naked before him; therefore, boast-
fully taunting Hoahanau and threatening to eat
his body upon that very ipukai, he threw away
his weapons and waited the onset.

As the combatants threw themselves against
each other, Aikanaka was surprised to find his
antagonist ready for every cxmning feint and
well-timed blow. It was a long and fearful
struggle. The chief had been once thrown to
the ground, but had twisted aside and regained
his feet before Hoahanau could take advantage
of the fall.

Foaming at the mouth and roaring and scream-
ing like an enraged animal, Aikanaka turned for
a second toward his house, with the thought of
rushing to secure a weapon. Then Hoahanau
leaped upon him, caught him, and whirled him
over the edge of the plateau. Down the chief

202 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

swept, broken and mangled by the rough, sharp
spurs of lava rock, until the lifeless body lodged
in the branches of a tall ohia-tree far below.

This was the beginning and ending of canni-
balism in the Hawaiian Islands so far as history
and definite legend are concerned. Halemanu
was visited by Mathison, and a description of
the carved stone table published in 1825.

In 1848, a little party of white men were
guided to the crater by an old Hawaiian, who
repeated to them the story of "Chief Man-
eater" substantially as it is given in this record.
They found Halemanu. The foundations of the
house, or at least of a wall around it, were easily
traced. The ipukai and the imu were both there.
The party did not notice any carved images on
the side of the stone table. Indeed, the stone
had been so covered by decaying debris that
it scarcely extended a foot above the soil.

In 1879 and in 1890, Mr. D. D. Baldwin, a
member of the party visiting Halemanu in 1848,
again sought the ipukai without a guide, but the
luxuriant growth of tangle-fern and grass made
exploration diflScult, and the carved stone table
was not foimd. Somewhere under the debris of
Halemanu it may wait the patient search of a
Hawaiian archseologist.

Mr. Joseph Emerson, who has had charge of
governmental surveys of a large part of the

"CHIEF MAN-EATER" 203

islands and also is a prominent authority on
Hawaiian matters, says that the sacrificial stone
can still be foimd, and was seen by his brother
within the past few years. He differs from the
other writers in the name given to the place and
also in regard to the locality. The right name
should be "Helemano," carrying the idea of a
train of followers of some high chief. The
locality is some miles northwest of the Waianae
Range in one of the valleys of the Koolau Moun-
tains. To this place the chiefesses of highest
blood were wont to come for the birth of their
expected children. The valley was "tabu" or
"sacred." Near this sacred birthplace of chiefs
was the home for a time of the noted man-eating
chief.

lV^^^.l-t>

204 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

XXIV

LEPE-A-MOA
The Chicken-Girl of Palama

STRANGE things are sometimes imagined
in the Hawaiian legends of ancient time.
The story of Lepe-a-moa is an illustration of the
blending of the Hawaiian idea of supernatural
things with the deeds of every-day hfe. It is one
of those old legends handed down by native bards
through generations, whose first scenes lie on
the island of Kauai, but change to Oahu.

Keahua was one of the royal chiefs of Kauai.
Apparently he was the highest chief on the island,
but it was in the days when men were few and high
chiefs and gods were many. He had spent his
boyhood on the rich lands of Wailua, Kauai, and
from there had crossed the deep channel to Oahu
and had come to the home of the chiefess Kapa-
lama after her beautiful daughter Kauhao, to
take her to Kauai as his wife. But soon after
his return one of the kupua gods became angry
with him. A kupua was a god having a double
body, sometimes appearing as a man and some-
times as an animal. The animal body always
possessed supernatural powers.

LEPE-A-MOA 20S

This kupua was called Akua-pehu-ale (God of
the swollen billows). He devoured his enemies,
and was greatly feared and hated even by his
own tribe. He attacked Keahua, destroyed his
people and drove him into the forests far up the
mountain-sides, where, at a place called Kawai-
kini (The many waters), where fresh spring water
abounded, the chief gathered his followers to-
gether and built a new home.

One day Kapalama, who was living in her
cluster of houses in the part of Honolulu which
now bears her name, said to her husband: "O
Honouliuli, our daughter on Kauai will have a
child of magic power and of kupua character.
Perhaps we should go thither, adopt it, and bring
it up; there is life in the bones."

They crossed the channel, carrying offerings
with them to their gods. Concealing their canoes,
they went up into the forest. Their daughter's
child was already born, and behold, it was only
an egg! The chief had given an order to carry it
out into the deep sea and throw it away as an
offering to the sea-monsters; but the mother
and her soothsayers thought it should be kept and
brought to life.

Kapalama, coming at this time, took the egg,
wrapped it carefully in soft kapas, bade farewell
to her daughter, and returned to Oahu. Here
she had her husband build a fine thatched house

2o6 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

of the best grass he could gather. The kapas
put inside for beds and clothing were perfumed
by fragrant ginger flowers, hala blossoms, and
the delicate bloom of the cocoanut, while festoons
of the sweet-scented maile graced its walls. For
a long time that egg lay wrapped in its coverings
of soft kapas.

One day Kapalama told her husband to pre-
pare an imu (oven) for their grandchild. He
gathered stones, dug a hole, and took his fire-
sticks and rubbed until fire came; then he built a
fire in the hole and placed the wood and put on
the stones, heating them until they were very hot.
Taking some fine sweet-potatoes, he wrapped
them in leaves and laid the bundles on the stones,
covering it all with mats, and poured on sufficient
water to make steam in which to cook the pota-
toes.

When all was fully cooked, Kapalama went to
the house of the egg and looked in. There she
saw a wonderfully beautiful chicken bom from
that egg. The feathers were of all the colors of
all kinds of birds. They named the bird-child
Lepe-a-moa. They fed it fragments of the
cooked sweet-potato, and it went to sleep, put-
ting its head under its wing.

This bird-child had an ancestress who was a
bird-woman and who lived up in the air in the
highest clouds. Her name was Ke-ao-lewa (The

LEPE-A-MOA 207

moving cloud). She was a sorceress of the sky,
but sometimes came to earth in the form of a
great bird, or of a woman, to aid her relatives in
various ways. When the egg was brought from
Kauai, Ke-ao-lewa told her servants to prepare
a swimming-pool for the use of the child. After
this bird-child had come into her new life and
eaten and rested, she went to the edge of the pool,
ruffled and picked her feathers and drank of sweet
water, then leaped in, swimming and diving and
splashing all around the pool. When tired of
this play, she got out and flew up in the branches
of a tree, shaking off the water and drying her-
self. After a little while she flew down to her
sleeping-house, wrapped herself in some fine,
soft kapas, and went to sleep.

Thus day by day she ate and bathed, and, when
by herself she changed her bird form into that
of a very beautiful girl, her body shone with
beauty like the red path of the sunlight on the
sea, or the rainbow bending in the sky.

One day after she had made this change she
stretched herself out vfith her face downward and
called to her grandparents: "Oh, where are you
two? Perhaps you will come inside."

They heard a weak, muffled voice, and one
said: " Where is that voice calling us two? This
is a strange thing. As a tabu place, no one has
been allowed to come here; it is for us and our

2o8 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

children alone." The woman said, "We will
listen again; perhaps we can understand this
voice."

Soon they heard the child call as before. Kapa-
lama said: "That is a voice from the house of our
child. We must go there."

She ran to the house, lifted the mat door, and
looked in. When she saw a beautiful and strong
girl lying on the floor she was overcome with sur-
prise, and staggered back and fell to the ground
as if dead. Honouliuli ran to her, rubbed her
body, poured water on her head and brought her
back to life. He anxiously asked about her
trouble. She said: "When we heard that voice,
I went to the door of the house and looked in.
There lay our grandchild with a wonderfully
beautiful human body. It was her voice calling
us. When I saw her I fell dying with great sur-
prise."

They went to the girl's house and saw her in
her new body, wearing a beautiful green and
yellow feather lei, or garland. The grandmother
gave her a colored pa-u, or skirt, and tied it
around her.

Thus Lepe-a-moa came into her two bodies and
received her gift of magic powers. She was ex-
ceedingly beautiful as a girl, so beautiful that
her glory shone out from her body like radiating
fire, filling the house and passing through into

LEPE-A-MOA 209

the mist around, shining in that mist in splendid
rainbow colors.

In almost all Hawaiian folk-lore and even in
history, down to the last ruler of the islands, a
divinely given rainbow was supposed to be arched
from time to time over those of high-chief birth.
The older legends speak of this rainbow over a
chief as if it were made by the shining out of col-
ors from the body of the chief himself. A child
born with divine and human or miraculous power
in the family of a high chief would almost inva-
riably have its birth attended by thunder, light-
ning, storm, and brilliant rainbows around its
birthplace. These rainbows would usually fol-
low the child wherever it went, resting over any
place where it stopped. Sometimes the glory of
the royal blood in a child would be so great that
it would shine through the thatch of a house like
a blazing fire, flashing out in the darkness like
devouring flames, or, if the child was in the sea,
the glory shone into the spray until rainbows
danced above.

Some legends ascribe to the sorcerers of ancient
time the power of telling the difference between
the colors radiating from members of different
royal families. The sorcerer-priest would per-
haps see a canoe far out on the ocean with a
small mass of color above it, and would name
the person in the canoe and the family of chiefs

2IO LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

from which he was coming. It is even repre-
sented that it was possible to discern these
rainbows of royal blood from island to island
and know where the person was at that time
staying. Lono-o-pua-kau was the god who had
charge of these signs of a chief's presence.

Lepe-a-moa's beauty was so full of shining
power that her colors rested in the air around
her and attended her wherever she went. Her
rainbow was over her house when she was in it,
or it was over the pool when she was bathing,
or even over her when she went down to the
beach.

One day she said to her grandparents, "I
want another kind of food, and am going down
to the sea for fish and moss." In her chicken
body she ate the potato food provided, but she
desired the food of her friends when in her
human form. Joyously she went down to the
shore and saw the surf waves of Malama rolling
in. Nearer her own home a fine sand beach wel-
comed the surf waves of Kapalama. She chanted
as she saw this white surf: "My love, the first
surf. I ride on these white waves."

As she rested on the crest of a surf wave
sweeping toward the beach she saw a squid
rising up and tossing out its long arms to catch
her. She laughed and caught it in her hand,
saying, "One squid, the first, for the gods."

LEPE-A-MOA 211

This she took to the beach and put in a fish-
basket she had left on the sand with her skirt
and lei. Again she went out, and saw two
squid rising to meet her. This time she sang,
"Here are two squid for the grandparents,"
which she caught and put in her basket. On
going out again she saw and caught another
floating on the wave with her. This she took,
exclaiming, "For me; this squid is mine."

The grandparents rejoiced when they saw the
excellent food provided them. Again and again
she went to the sea, catching fish and gathering
sweet moss from the reef. Thus the days of her
childhood passed. Her grandfather gave his
name, Honouliuli, to a land district west of
Honolulu, while Kapalama gave hers to the
place where they lived. The bird-child's parents
still dwelt in their forest home on Kauai, hidden
from their enemy Akua-pehu-ale.

Kauilani and Akua-pehu-ale.

After a time Lepe-a-moa's mother gave birth
to a fine boy, who was named Kauilani. He
was born in the forest by the water-springs
Kawaikini. On the day of his birth a great
storm swept over the land. Rain fell in tor-
rents and swept in red streams down the val-
leys, thunder rolled, lightning flashed, earth-

212 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

quakes shook the land, and rainbows arched his
birthplace. This time, since a boy was born, he
belonged to the family of the father. His grand-
parents were Lau-ka-ie-ie and Kani-a-ula.

They took the child and bathed him in a won-
derful foxmtain called Wai-ui (Water of strength),
which had the power of conferring rapid growth,
great strength, and remarkable beauty upon
those who bathed therein. The child was taken
frequently to this fountain, so that he grew rap-
idly and was soon a man with only the years of
a boy. The two old people were kupuas having
very great powers. They could appear as human
beings or could assume wind bodies and fly like
the wind from place to place. They could not
give the boy a double body, but they could give
him supernatural powers with his name Kaui-
lani (The divine athlete). They bound around
him their marvellous malo, or sash, called Paihiku.

When Keahua, the father, saw the boy, he
said: "How is it that you have grown so fast
and become a man so soon? Life is with you.
Perhaps now you can help me. A quarrelling
friend sought war with me a long time ago and
came near killing me; that is why we dwell in
this moimtain forest beyond his reach. Maybe
you and my servants can destroy this enemy,"
teUing him also the character and dwelling-place
of Akua-pehu-ale.

LEPE-A-MOA 213

Kauilani said to his father, "If you adopt my
plan, perhaps we may kill this Akua-pehu-ale."
The father agreed and asked what steps should
be taken. He was then told to send his servants
up into the mountain to cut down ahakea-trees
and shape them into planks, then carry some of
the sticks to the foot of the precipice near their
home, and set them in the ground; the others
were to be taken to the sea and there set up as
stakes close together.

That night was made very dark by the sor-
cery of the young chief. All the people slept
soundly. At midnight Kauilani went out into
the darkness and called thus to his gods:

"0 mountain! O sea! O South! O North!
all ye gods! Come to our aid! Inland at the
foot of the pali is the ahakea; by the sea stands
the ahakea, there by the beach of Hina. Mul-
tiply them with the wauke at the foot of the
pali of Halelea and by the shore of Wailua.
Bananas are ready for us this night. The
bread-fruit and the sugar-cane are ours, O ye
gods!"

Repeating this incantation, he went into his
house and slept. In the morning the high chief,
Keahua, went out and looked, and behold! the
sticks planted below the precipice had taken root
and sent out branches and intertwined until it
spread an almost impenetrable thicket. There

214 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

were also many groups of wauke-trees which had
sprung up in the night. He called his wife,
saying, "While we slept, this wonderful thing has
transpired."

Kauilani came out and asked his father to
call all the people and have them go out and
cut the bark from the wauke-trees, beat it into
kapa, and spread it out to dry. This was
quickly done, and two large houses also built
and finished the same day. A tabu of silence
was claimed for the night while he again peti-
tioned the gods.

Soon deep darkness rested on the land, and
all the people fell asleep, for they were very
tired. Kauilani only remained awake at his in-
cantations, listening to the rapid work of the
gods in cutting trees, carving images, and filling
the houses with them.

Awaking the next day, the chief and his people
went to the houses and saw they were filled to
overflowing with images, and covering the plat-
forms and fences around the houses.

Kauilani said to his father, "Let the men go
up to a high hill inland and burn the dry wood
and brush to attract the attention of your
enemy while we prepare our battle."

Akua-pehu-ale was sporting in the sea when he
saw the smoke rising from the hills and mingling
with the clouds. He said: "That is something

LEPE-A-MOA 215

different from a cloud, and must be smoke from
a fire made by some man. What man has es-
caped my eyes? I will go and see, and when I
find him he shall be food for me." Then he
came to the beach, and his magic body flew to
the lands below Kawaikini.

All the people had been concealed by Kaui-
lani, who alone remained to face the sea-monster.
He stood in the doorway of one of the two large
houses, with an image on each side, for which he
had made eyes looking like those of a man.

The god came up, and, fixing his eyes on the
young chief, said: "Why are you hiding here?
You have escaped in the past, but now you shall
become my food." He opened his mouth wide,
one jaw rising up like a precipice, the other
resting on the ground, his double-pointed tongue
playing swiftly and leaping to swallow the chief
and the images by his side.

Kauilani said sternly, "Return to your place
to-day, and you shall see my steps toward your
place to-morrow for battle."

The god hesitated, and then said: "Sweet is
the fatness of this place. Your bones are soft,
your skin is shining. The glory of your body
this day shall cease."

The chief, without making any motion, re-
pUed: "Wait a little; perhaps this means work
for us two. This is my place. If I strike you,

2l6 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

you may be my food, and the pieces of your
body and your lands and property may fall to
me like raindrops. It may be best that you
should die, for you are very old, your eyelids
hang down, and your skin is dry like that of an
unihipili god [a god of skin and bones]. But I
am young. This is not the day for our fight.
To-morrow we can have our contest. Return to
your sea beach; to-morrow I will go down."

The god thought a moment, and, knowing
that the word of a chief was pledged for a battle,
decided that he would return to a better place
for a victory, so turned and went back to the
shore.

The young chief at once called his father and
the people, and said: "To-morrow I am going
down to fight with our enemy. Perhaps he will
kill me; if so, glorious will be my death for you;
but I would ask you to command the people
to eat imtil satisfied, lest they be exhausted in
the battle to-morrow; then let them sleep."

He laid out his plan of battle and defence.
His mother and the grandparents who had cared
for him, with a number of the people, were to
fight protected by the growth of trees at the
foot of the pali, and were to turn the god and
his people toward the houses filled with the
wooden gods made by the aumakuas (the ghost
gods).

LEPE-A-MOA 217

While all slept, Kauilani went out into the
darkness and prayed to the thousands of the
multitude of gods to work and establish his
power from dawn until night.

In the morning he girded around him his sash
of magic power and made ready to go down.
His father came to him with a polished spear, its
end shaped to a sharp edge, and set it up be-
tween them, saying: "This spear is an ancestor
of yours. It has miraculous power and can tell
you what to do. Its name is Koa-wi Koa-wa.
It now belongs to you to care for you and fight
for you." The yoimg chief gratefully took the
spear and then said to his father: "Your part is
to be watchman in the battle to-day. If the
smoke of the conflict rises to the sky and then
sweeps seaward and at last comes before you,
you may know that I am dead; but if the smoke
rises to the foot of the precipice and passes
along to the great houses, you may know that
the enemy is slain."

Then Kauilani took his spear and went down
to the open field near the shore, talking all the
way to it and to the gods. When he came to
the seashore, he saw the god rising up like a
mighty dragon, roaring and making a noise like
reverberating thmider. As he rushed upon the
chief, there was the sound as of great surf -waves
beating on the beach. The sand and soil of the

2l8 LEGENDS OP HONOLULU

battlefield was tossed up in great clouds. The
god fought in his animal body, which was that
of a great, swollen sea-monster.

Kauilani whirled his sharp-edged spear with
swift bird's-wing movement, chanting mean-
while: "O Koa-wi Koa-wa, strike! Strike for
the lives of us two ! Strike!" The power of his
magic girdle strengthened his arms, and the spear
was ready to act in harmony with every thought
of its chief. It struck the open mouth of that
god, and faced it toward the precipice and thick
trees. Backward it was forced by the swift
strokes of the spear. When a rush was made,
the chief leaped toward the pali, and thus the
god was driven and lured away from his
familiar surroundings. He became tangled in the
thickets, and was harassed by the attacks of
Kauilani's friends.

At last his face was turned toward the houses
filled with gods. The power which all the ghost
gods had placed in the images of wood was now
descending upon Akua-pehu-ale, and he began to
grow weak rapidly. He felt the loss of strength,
and turned to make a desperate rush upon the
yoimg chief.

Kauilani struck him a heavy blow, and the
spear leaped again and again upon him, till he
rolled into a mountain stream at a place called
Kapaa, out of which he crawled almost drowned.

LEPE-A-MOA 219

Then he was driven along even to the image
houses, where a fierce battle took place, in which
the wooden images took part, many of them
being torn to pieces by the teeth of Akua-pehu-
ale.

Some legends say that Kauilani's ancestress,
Ke-ao-lewa, who had watched over his sister, the
bird-child, Lepe-a-moa, had come from her home
in the clouds to aid in the defeat of Akua-
pehu-ale.

All forces uniting drove their enemy into a
great, mysterious cloud of mana, or miraculous
power, and he fell dead under a final blow of
the cutting spear Koa-wi Koa-wa. Then Kau-
ilani and his warriors rolled the dead body into
one of the large houses. There he offered a
chant of worship and of sacrifice, consecrating it
as an offering to all the gods who had aided him
in his battle.

When this ceremony was over he set fire to
the houses and burned the body of Akua-pehu-ale
and all the wooden images which remained after
the conflict, the smoke of which rose up and
swept along the foot of the precipice.

The father saw this, and told his people that
the yoimg chief had killed their enemy, so with
great rejoicing they prepared a feast for the vic-
torious chief and his helpers.

Kauilani went with his parents and grand-

220 LEGENDS OP HONOLULU

parents down to the shore and took possession
of all that part of the island around Wailua,
comprising large fish-ponds, and taro and sweet-
potato lands, held by the servants of the van-
quished god. These he placed under the charge
of his father's own faithful chiefs, and made his
father once more king over the lands from which
he had been driven.

Kauilani finds his Sister Lepe-a-moa

For some time after the famous battle with
the evil god, Kauilani aided his parents in estab-
lishing a firm and peaceful government, after
which he became restless and wanted new ex-
periences.

One day he asked his mother if he was the
only child she had. She told him the story of
his sister, who had been born in an egg, and had
become a very beautiful young woman. They
had never seen her, because she had been taken
to Oahu by her grandparents and there brought
up.

Kauilani said, "I am going to Oahu to find
her."

His mother said: "Yes, that is right. I will
tell you about my people and their lands."
So she told him about his ancestors, his grand-
parents and their rich lands around the Nuuanu

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LEPE-A-MOA 221

stream and its bordering plains; also of the
stopping-places as he should cross the island to
Kapalama, his grandmother, where he would
find his sister under a rainbow having certain
strong shades of color.

The parents prepared a red feather cloak for
him to wear with his fine magic sash. These he
put on, and, taking his ancestral spear, went
down to the sea. Laying his spear on the
water, he leaped upon it, when it dashed like
a great fish through the water; leaping from
wave to wave, it swept over the sea like a malolo
(flying-fish), and landed him on the Oahu beach
among the sand-dunes of Waianae.

Taking up his spear he started toward the
sunrise side of the island, calling upon it as he
went along to direct his path to Kapalama.
Then he threw the spear as if it were a dart in
the game of pahee, but instead of sliding and
skipping along the ground it leaped into the air,
and, like a bird floating on its wings, went along
before the young chief.

Once it flew fast and far ahead of him to a place
where two women were working, and fell at
their feet. They saw the beautiful spear, won-
derfully polished, and picked it up, and quickly
found a hiding-place wherein they concealed it.
Covering up the deep furrow it had made in
the ground where it fell and looking around

222 LEGENDS OP BONOLULV

without seeing any one, they resumed their
work.

Soon Kauilani came to the place where they
were, and, greeting them, asked pleasantly,
"When did you see my travelling companion
who passed this way?" They were a little con-
fused, yet said they had not seen any one.

Then he asked them plainly if a spear had
passed them, and again they denied all knowl-
edge of anything coming near. Kauilani said,
"Have you not concealed my friend, my spear?"

They replied: "No. We have not had any-
thing to do with any spear."

The chief softly called, "E Koa-wi! E Koa-wa!
E!" The spear replied in a small, sharp voice,
"E-o-e-o!" and leaped out from its hiding-place,
knocking the women over into the stream near
which they had been working.

Taking the spear, he went down to the seashore,
scolding it on the way for making sport of him,
and threatened to break it if anything else went
wrong. The spear said: "You must not injure
me, your ancestor, or all your visit will result in
failure. But if you lay me down on the beach
I will take you to the place where you can find
your sister."

The chief said, "How shall I know you are
not deceiving me? "

The spear rephed, "Sit down on me and in a

LEPE-A-MOA 223

little while we shall be at a place where you can
see her." Then it carried the complaining chief
to the beach of Kou. There it lay on the
ground and said: "You see a tree, a wiliwili-
tree, standing alone near the sea and looking
out over the waters? Go you to that tree and
climb it and look along the beach imtU you see a
rainbow rising over the waves. Under that
rainbow you will see a girl catching squid and
shellfish and gathering sea-moss. She is doing
this for her old people. She is your sister."

The chief said, "I will go and see, but if no
one is there I will pimish you for deceiving me,
and break you into Uttle pieces."

He went to the tree, climbed to the top branches
and looked along the beach as the spear had
directed. He saw a very strange thing out
over the water: red mist and bloody rainclouds
moving back and forth over the dark-blue waves,
extending far out toward the foot of the sky
and also covering the place where he was to see
the girl. He called down to the spear that
he could not see any rainbow or any girl.

The spear repUed: "Everything is changing
rapidly on the face of the sea. Look again."

He watched the whirling mist and rain, and as
it moved slowly he saw an immense bird with
many red feathers on its body and wings. When
it flew up from the sea it hid the light from the

224 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

svin and cast a dark shadow over all that beach.
He called to the spear, "What is this great bird
flying over the ocean? "

The spear replied: "That is one of your
ancestors, a kupua. She has a double body,
sometimes appearing as a bird and sometimes in
human form. Her name is Ka-iwa-ka-la-meha.
She has dwelling-places in all the islands, and
even in Kahiki. She has come to your sister,
Lepe-a-moa, over the seas of the gods Ka-ne
and Kanaloa."

Kauilani watched the great bird as it rose
from the sea and flew in mighty circles around the
heavens, rising higher and higher imtU it was
lost in the sky.

Soon the atmosphere began to clear, and he
saw the rainbow and the girl in the far distance.
He came down and told the spear that all its
words were true. The spear again asked the
yoxmg chief to sit on it. He did so, and was
carried rapidly to the cluster of houses where
Kapalama was living with her husband and
grandchild.

That same day, after Lepe-a-moa had taken
her basket and gone to the shore, Kapalama
looked along the road toward the sunset and saw a
small cloud hastening along the way. Watching
it carefully, she saw a rainbow in the cloud and
called to her husband: "O Honouliuli, this is a

LEPE-A-MOA 225

very strange thing, but from the rainbow in the
cloud I know that oiu" grandchild from Kauai
is coming to this place. You must quickly fire
the oven and prepare food for this om- young
grandchild."

He made the oven ready, and soon had chicken,
fish, and sweet-potatoes cooking for their visitor.

When Kauilani came to his grandparents they
all wailed over each other, according to the
ancient custom of the Hawaiians. When the
greeting was finished he went into the house set
apart for men as their eating-place, into which
women were not allowed to enter, and there ate
his food. After this he went outside and lay
down on a mat and talked with his grandmother.

She praised him for the great victory won with
his spear against his father's enemy, and then
asked why he had come to Oahu.

He said, "I have come to see my sister in her
double natxu-e."

She replied: "That is right. I will take you
to her house. There you must make a hollow
place and hide under the mats and not let her
see or hear you, lest you die. But when she falls
asleep you must catch her and hold her fast imtil
she accepts you as her brother. I will utter
my chants and prayers for your success." So
he hid himself in the girl's house and kept very
quiet.

226 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

Meanwhile Lepe-a-moa, who was through fish-
ing, picked up her basket and started toward her
home. She saw a rainbow resting over their
houses and thought some strange chief had
come. She rejoiced and determined that the
chief should play her favorite game konane,
a game resembling checkers. When she came
to the houses she asked her grandmother for the
strange chief, sa5ang she saw the footsteps of
some man, perhaps now concealed by the grand-
mother.

Kapalama denied that any one had come. So
the girl went into her house, laid aside her human
body, and assumed that of many kinds of birds.
Kapalama broke cooked sweet-potatoes and fed
the pieces to this bird-body. Having eaten all
she wished, Lepe-a-moa went into her house and
lay down on her mats and fell asleep.

When deep sleep was on her the young chief
leaped upon her, caught her in his arms, and
held her fast. Jumping up, she dashed out of
the house, carrying him with her. She flew up
into the sky, but he still clung to her. The
magic power of that spear helped him to hold
fast and made the bird fly slowly.

As she heard her grandmother chanting about
herself and her brother, the young chief of
Kauai, her anger modified, and she asked the
stranger, " Who are you, and from whence have

LEPE-A-MOA 227

you come?" He said, "I am from Kauai, and
I am Kauilani, your younger brother."

Then she began to love him, and flew back to
her grandparents, who welcomed them with
great rejoicing.

For many days the young people and their
grandparents dwelt happily together. In later
years the young chief and his sister saved King
Kakuhihewa in a remarkable V

manner. As a result, the king .,!^g\^^^
gave his favorite daughter to --'"'«-
Kauilani as his wife, and Lepe-
a-moa cared for their children.

The Battle of the Kupuas '"f"* """"

This part of the legend of Lepe-a-moa be-
longs to Waikiki and to Palama, a district near
the centre of the Chinatown of the present
Honolulu. It is also one of the ancient long
stories handed down from generation to genera-
tion among the Hawaiians. It came from the
days of Kakuhihewa, who was the King Arthur
of Oahu traditions and whose chiefs were "the
Knights of the Round Table" after whom most of
the noted localities of Oahu were named. How-
ever, this goes back into the misty past only
about four hundred years.

A boy and a girl were born on the island of
Kauai, both possessing miraculous powers. The

228 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

girl, Lepe-a-moa, was taken as soon as born to
Palama, and there brought up by her grand-
parents. The boy, Kauilani, was reared by
his parents on Kauai, and there did many
wonderful deeds, after which he came to Oahu
to visit his sister.

At birth, Lepe-a-moa was only an egg, which,
under the care of the grandparents, developed into
a very beautifid maiden who could assume at will
a multitude of bird forms. Thus she was what
the ancient legends called kupua, or a person
having both himian and animal powers.

The young chief desired to visit the court of
Kakuhihewa, who resided at Waikiki, where
the Moana Hotel and Outrigger Club are now
located. The grandmother, Kapalama, sent mes-
sengers to Ke-ao-lewa, the ruler of the birds
of the heavens, for new clothing fit for the yoimg
chief, and they returned with a magnificent
feather sash of splendid colors, and a glorious
red feather cloak, shining like the blossoms of
the lehua-tree, and fringed with yeUow feathers
which were like golden clouds in the light of
the setting sun.

He boimd the sash over his shoulders and
around his body as a girdle, or malo, threw the
cloak from the heavens around him, took his
magic spear, Koa-wi Koa-wa, which had the power
of hvmian speech, and journeyed to Waikiki.

LEPE-A-MOA 229

At this time Kakuhihewa was entertaining his
sister and her husband, Maui-nui, who was king
of the island of Maui. According to custom, the
days were devoted to sports and gambling.

Maui-nui had a kupua, a rooster, which was
one of the ancestors of Kauilani's family,
but was very cruel and destructive. He could
assume a different bird form for each magic
power he possessed. This, with his miraculous
human powers, made him superior to all the
roosters which had ever been his antagonists in
cock-fighting. It was the custom of this king
to take this kupua in his rooster body, with
some other chickens, and visit other chiefs,
having many battles and winning large amounts
of property, such as the best canoes, the finest
mats and kapas, and the most royal feather
cloaks, as well as the lands of the chiefs who had
not been subject to him. Sometimes, when all
available property had been won, he would
persuade a chief to "bet his bones." This
meant that the poverty-stricken chief, as a
last resort, would wager his body against some
of the property lost. If defeated, his life might
be taken and his body sent to the most noted
heiau (temple) of his opponent and placed on an
altar as a human sacrifice, or the body could be
burned or cooked in a fire oven and thrown into
the sea.

230 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

Kakuhihewa and Maui-nui had been pass-
ing many days in this sport. When the Maui
king was afraid the game might be given up,
he would let some of the ordinary chickens fight,
or would select the weakest from his flock. Then
a large amount of property might be returned to
the original owners, but he took care to lead his
opponents on until their pride or their shame
compelled them to wager their very last resources.

Thus the betting had gone on from time to
time until the Maui king had provoked Ka-
kuhihewa into betting his kingdom of Oahu
in an almost hopeless attempt to win back all
that had been lost before.

The Oahu king realized that his brother-in-
law was using a bird of magic power, but his
bets had been made and word given, and he
did not know of any way in which he could
get sufiicient magic to overcome his antagonist.
He had heard about Kauilani, a wonderfully
powerful young chief on Kauai, who had
conquered a god of the seas and restored a
kingdom to his father. He had sent messengers
to Kauai to ask this young chief to come to
his aid, promising as a reward the hand of his
favorite and most beautiful daughter in mar-
riage; but the days passed and no word came
from Kauai. Meanwhile Kauilani came before
Kakuhihewa and was announced as a young

LEPE-A-MOA 231

chief from Kapalama. No one thought of
any connection with the noted warrior of Kauai.

The king was very much pleased with the
young chief, and finally asked him if he had seen
his chickens, and if he would like to go to the
place where they were kept.

Kauilani saw the chickens and sent for
water, which the keepers brought to him. Taking
it, he sprinkled the eyes of the roosters. None
of them had sufficient power to keep from shut-
ting their eyes when the water struck their
heads. Then he said to the keeper, "These
birds wUl not be of any use for our chief."

Then he went to see the king's tabu rooster,
the one reserved by the king for any last and
desperate conflict. This he also tried and found
wanting.

The keepers then sent word to the king that
a strange young man with great wisdom was
looking at the chickens, and the king came out
and asked Kauilani about the tests.

The young chief sprinkled water as before,
and then said to the king, "Perhaps your rooster
has strength and perhaps he has no power."

The king said: "Ah! We see that this tabu
rooster has no strength for this conflict. He
closes his eyes. His enemy is very strong and
very quick. We shall be defeated and belong
to the king of Maui."

232 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

Then Kauilani said, "Perhaps I can find
a bird of very great powers who can save us."

The king said: "If you defeat Ke-au-hele-
moa, the magic rooster of the king of Maui, you
shall become my son. My daughter shall be
your wife."

Kauilani requested the king to have the
place closed where the chickens were kept, so
that no spy could watch them. He told the
king he had a kupua chicken still in an egg,
which would kill the great bird of the king of
Maui, but that before the time came for the festi-
val in which the cock-fighting occurred his
chicken would be hatched and have power to
save the king and his kingdom. The king was
filled with delight, and took the handsome young
chief at once to his house and sent for his
daughter.

He said to her: "I have set you free from the
tabu which I placed upon you as the promised
wife of the chief of Kauai. It is better that
you should take this yoimg chief as your
husband."

So they were married and lived together a few
days. Then the young chief told the king he
must go at once to obtain the chicken egg. He
told his wife not to be jealous about anything
she might hear among the people, and not to be
angry in any way whatever at the time of his

LEPE-A-MOA 233

return, or he would not continue to have her as
his wife.

He went back to his sister, Lepe-a-moa. She
saw him, and leaped to meet him, calling:
"Come! Come! Come! I have waited and
waited for you."

He told her aU about his visit and the great
need of the king, saying, "I have come back for
only this day and for your help."

Then they went to the bathing-pool, and were
swimming, diving and bathing when they heard
the sweet voice of the mischievous elepaio bird
over them, aroimd them, and at last from the
bank of the pool, calling out: "Ono ka ia! Ono
ka ia!" ("The fish is sweet! The fish is
sweet!") This bird was also Lea, the goddess of
canoe-cutters.

Kauilani called to her: "Why do you not
get yoimg fish in the ocean? Is this the only
place for sweet fish? "

Then the elepaio told the brother and sister
about the great rooster belonging to the king of
Maui, its miraculous power, and its name, "Ke-
au-hele-moa," and then said:

"You two go to the place of the fight. Take
great care of yoiu- sister. Put her in a lei gar-
land around your neck. You wiU see the ap-
pearance of that rooster of the king of Maui:
very tall; black, white and red feathers; only

234 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

one tail-feather. If he sees his grandchild before
the fight she will not escape, but if you keep her
hidden until she goes out for battle he will be
destroyed."

When the brother and sister returned they
told the grandparents about KakuhUiewa's
trouble and the power of the rooster of the king
of Maui to assume several bodies. Kauilani
told them that the Maui king was so sure of
winning that he had collected a great pile of wood
wherewith to heat an oven in which to cook Ka-
kuhihewa's body.

The grandmother said: "That great bird is
one of our own family, and has very great power,
but Lepe-a-moa has much greater power if you
two work together. He must not see her until
she goes out to fight with him."

Lepe-a-moa said to her brother: "This is bad
for you. You come as if you loved me, but you
have taken the king's daughter for your wife.
If I go with you and your wife is angry with
me, she shall be set aside and I will be your wife."

Kauilani said, "That is right."

Lepe-a-moa made herself very beautiful with
a glistening spotted feather cloak. Her pa-u, or
skirt, was like fire, flaming and flashing. Kaui-
lani told her she must go first, as the eldest one
of the family. Thus they passed in their
splendid feather dresses down to Kou (Honolulu)

LEPE-A-MOA 23s

and out to Pawaa, the people shouting and
praising the beautiful girl.

As they came to Waikiki the noise of the
people could be heard far, far away: "O the
beautiful girl coming with the husband of our
chief ess! O the beautiful girl!"

The king's daughter heard the shout and be-
came very angry. She ordered the people to
drive Kauilani and Lepe-a-moa away.

But the servants knew the reason why the
young chief had become the husband of the
king's daughter, and said among themselves:
"We want to live. We must not drive them
away."

Lepe-a-moa said to her brother, "I told you
that she would be angry with me."

"Yes," said the brother, "that is true, and
you shall be my wife."

They turned aside from the royal houses.
The girl laid aside her girl body and put on her
bird body in one of its smallest forms and was
concealed in an egg. The brother wrapped this
egg in a comer of his cloak, put it around his
neck and went to the place where the chickens
were kept and took one of the small houses of
the keepers as his own.

That evening, when a large calabash of food
was brought for the chickens and set aside, he
took it secretly, gave all the food to his sister

236 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

and turned the calabash up as if it had been up-
set and the food eaten by dogs. The caretakers
were greatly worried because they had no food
that night for the chickens. They knew thus
the chickens would not have any strength for
fighting.

When Kakuhihewa heard that his daughter
had driven her husband away he was very much
troubled, and was afraid that he and his people
would be destroyed, so he sent messengers to
look everywhere and if possible find the young
chief, but they all failed.

At last one of the guardians of the chickens
said, "Your son is sleeping in one of our houses."

Kakuhihewa sent Kou, one of the highest
oflScers in his government, to go after Kauilani.
This Kou was the chief after whom Kou, the
ancient Honolulu, was named. Kou found the
young chief sleeping, and aroused him, telling
him the king was very sorry for the anger of his
daughter, and asking him to come back to the
king's house and on the morrow see the day of
death.

Kauilani told Kou to return and tell the king
to prepare everything for the day of battle, and
hang a large kapa sheet between two posts. He
pointed out two roosters which were to be taken
first. The king was to send them one by one to
fight. When they were killed the king was to

LEPE-A-MOA 237

ask for a time of rest. "After this will be the
time for my battle." Thus he taught Kou, who
returned and told the king.

The next morning the king of Maui sent
his messenger to the king of Oahu, asking
if all things were ready for the battle of that
day.

The king of Oahu replied: "Yes; we will
go to the place of death. If they win, we die;
but if we win, there shall be no death. I do not
know how to kill a man in this way."

So they all went to the battlefield. As soon
as all the chiefs and the people were assembled,
Maui-nui, king of Maui, leaped up and began
his boast, proposing the battle and stating the
conditions, "Death for the defeated." Ka-
kuhihewa quietly answered: "If I win, I shall
not kill you. You have already prepared for
our death."

The wife of the king of Maui favored the
terms of the Oahu ruler to be applied to both
sides, but her husband again called out his con-
dition, "Death to the defeated."

Then Kakuhihewa stated his condition: "We
will try one rooster, and then another. If
both of my roosters are killed, we will rest
until time has been given to get another bird
for me."

This was agreed to without any opposition.

238 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

The chickens were quickly freed. The roosters
leaped against each other and one fell dead.
Then the second battle was fought and the sec-
ond rooster killed.

While they were resting, Kauilani went in
behind that large kapa sheet which he had re-
quested. The egg was wrapped in his cloak,
which was thrown around his neck. He took
out the egg and uttered an incantation:

"The chicken comes out better in the heat.
Both of us were born at midnight.
Dust rises and is blown like mist on a wave.
Pick the flowers of the Ohai — pick the flowers.
Fly! Fly! Fly!
Leaping in the dust of Kaumaea."

The egg began to change until it became a
full-grown chicken.

Kauilani told his bird-sister to go out before
the people thus: "Go all around the fighting-
place. Go to the feet of Maui-nui, and look
upon him; then go to the middle and stand there
looking into the face of your ancestor. He will
then know you perhaps, and will put on many
kinds of bird bodies. If he puts on red, you
must become white. You have more bird
bodies than he. You will win. Then if he
changes his body again I will tell you what to
do until he becomes weary; then you put on
your spotted body and kUl him."

LEPE-A-MOA 239

The bird then left him and went out before the
people. They made a great noise, laughing and
crying out: "A hen! A hen! To fight the great
rooster!"

But she was very beautiful in her shining coat
of feathers as she waited for the battle. Then
the rooster came in, and Kauilani saw that he
did not recognize his grandchild. Lepe-a-moa
clucked and moved her head and wings like a
hen calling to her young chickens. Ke-au-hele-
moa was angry. His feathers rose as he came
up and he changed their color into red. His
antagonist became white.

Then he struck at her, leaped at her, and tried
to overthrow her with his wings, but was not
able to touch her, while she lightly flew over his
head, striking his face and beating him with
claws and wings.

Then he became moa-nene (a goose form),
but Kauilani uttered a prayer and his sister be-
came a swift aloe-bird, a small mud-hen. The
battle again was fought, whirling, striking, leap-
ing and flying, but the bird-girl was not injured
in the least, while the rooster's face was bleeding
and his eyes suffering from the terrific and
swift blows dealt by Lepe-a-moa. She tore him
to pieces, until the battle was in a thick cloud of
flying feathers.

The people thought he was dead, but his

240 LEGENDS OP HONOLULU

magic power was still in the fragments of his
body, torn and thrown up, floating far up among
the clouds. He rested in some mist-clouds
above, and put on a body having the color of the
yellow blossoms of the hau-tree.

Before this the day had been quiet, but now,
with the return of that rooster, the chill of
snow and ice came down in a cold mist like the
snow mists on the tops of the mountains. The
rooster sent this icy, fine rain in a stream like a
flowing river over Kakuhihewa and his people.

Then Kauilani called to his sister: "Behold
Ke-au-hele-moa comes to his last strength. He
follows the ice-cloud. Can you make a way of
escape?" This caU was in a spirit voice and
none of the people heard.

Lepe-a-moa called upon Ke-ao-lewa (The
morning cloud) for help, and a cloud was let
down as a shield, turning off the cold mist and
letting it pass on over the sea. So Kakuhihewa
and his people were left in peace.

Lepe-a-moa flew up into a tall cocoa-tree and
saw her enemy in the form of a manu-alala
(great black bird) coming behind the mist to
the battlefield. She flew down and put on the
color of the pua-niu (the cream color of a cocoa-
nut blossom) and again flew like a whirlwind
around her enemy. Then the ancestor-bird
took his last body, that of a moa-a-uha.

LEPE-A-MOA 241

Kauilani called to his sister to go around be-
fore all the people, putting on her spotted body,
and then return, looking sharply at the right wing
of her enemy to find a place to break it, then fly
against the right eye and pick it out, and after
that fly down on the head of the king of Maui,
then leap to the last battle, break the left wing,
pluck out the left eye and tear the body to pieces.
"Then he will die. He cannot make a new
body for himself."

Lepe-a-moa flew down upon the black bird,
which tried to strike her with its strong wings,
but when the right wing was spread out, showing
its weak places, she flew in swiftly and broke
that wing so that it could not be used. Then
she leaped against the head and caught the right
eye, destroying it. The black bird tried to whirl
around and around to strike the spotted chicken,
but Lepe-a-moa shook her wings over her enemy
and flew off around the place of battle until she
was in front of the Maui king. Before he could
think or make a move for self-protection she
dashed into his hair and tore it with her claws
and flew back against her enemy. This polluted
and disgraced Maui-nui.

This time she whirled around the left side.
He struck at her. As his wing was spread out
she flew in and broke it, so that it fell useless by
his side. Then she struck his eye, and he was

242 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

entirely blind. She dashed against him, and he
fell over. She clawed and picked and tore his
body until it was in small pieces and his life was
destroyed.

The people shouted with a loud voice: "Auwe!
Auwe! [Alas! Alas!] The rooster of the king of
Maui is dead! Ke-au-hele-moa is dead! The
king of Maui is to die!"

The name of this rooster, it is said, was given
to a place far up Palolo Valley, near Honolulu.

When the people shouted, Kauilani stood up
in his splendid cloak and sash and cried out:
"Aye! Aye! Dead to me — dead to Kauilani, the
child of Keahua and Kauhao!"

His sister flew to him and he took her and
disappeared in the confused, moving crowd of
excited people. Thus they returned to Ka-
palama.

At that time Kakuhihewa learned who the
young man was, and was glad that he had not
treated him uncivilly in any way and so lost his
wonderful aid. He was very, very thankful for
his victory over the king of Maui.

He ordered his servants to find Kauilani, but
they could not. He was fully lost.

Wailuku, the wife of Maui-nui, asked Ka-
kuhihewa what he intended to do with them.

He replied: "I will not kill. I am for life. I
do not know how to make a man. I do not want

LEPE-A-MOA 243

death. If you had won, you should have your
desire. Now I will have life as my wish."

Maui-nui returned to his island, but his wife
remained with her brother.

The king ordered his people to make search
everywhere for Kauilani. They went to Kauai,
but he had not returned to his parents. They
visited Maui and Hawaii, but found no trace.
For several months the search was prosecuted.
Even the mountains, hills, valleys, forests,
jungles and caves were looked over as carefully
as possible. By and by two chiefs, Kou and
Waikiki, saw the signs of a high chief over Ka-
palama's group of houses, and went up to make
inquiries. They saw Kauilani and told him
that the king wanted him to come back.

Lepe-a-moa said: "You must reveal yourself,
and you must go back to that wife. Her birth
time has come."

Kauilani sent the chiefs, Kou and Waikiki,
back to the king with the message that he
would follow the next day.

In the morning he met the king, who said:
"This year I have been near to death and
from you came life, and you have been lost,
to my sorrow. Now my daughter's child is
near birth; perhaps you can give life to your
child."

Kauilani went to his wife's home. The

244 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

caretakers refused to let him give any aid until
they had tried all their arts and failed.

Then Kauilani sent all the people away and
stood alone by his wife, uttering his chant or in-
cantation of life for the sick one:

"O Aumakuas! Ghost gods!
Come from the north, the south, the east, the west.
Male and female and children,
Come for this cry of distress.
O all those who have power in the skies!
Come in this time of death.

all the household of Kapalamal
Come and give life.

1 am Kauilani,

The strong child of Keahua and Kauhao.
Life for the mother and this child."

While he was chanting this prayer the child
was born. Lepe-a-moa saw that her brother
was very busy before the gods, so she secretly
took the child and hurried to Kapalama.

That day there were fierce storms, resounding
thimders and flashing lightning, while the land
shook with the throbs of an earthquake. These
were the signs usually accompanying the birth
of any high chief or chiefess.

Kakuhihewa was troubled when he knew
that the child had disappeared, but was satis-
fied when he learned that it was with Kapalama
and Lepe-a-moa.

LEPE-A-MOA

245

The baby was a girl and very beautiful, so
Lepe-a-moa adopted it as her own and gave it
the name of Kamamo.

Kauilani lived with his wife, making his home
all the rest of his life in the court of his father-in-
law, Kakuhihewa.

«%|

246 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

XXV

KAMAPUAA LEGENDS

Legends of the Hog-god

SOME of the most unique legends of the
nations have clustered around imagined
monsters. Centaurs, half man and half horse,
thronged the dreams of Rome. The Hawaiians
knew nothing about any animals save the fish
of the seas, the birds of the forests, and the
chickens, the dogs and the pigs around their
homes. From the devouring shark the Hawaiian
imagination conceived the idea of the shark-
man who indulged in cannibalistic tendencies.
From the devastations of the pigs they built
up the experiences of an xmruly rude chief
whom they called Kamapuaa, who was the cen-
tral figure of many rough exploits throughout
the islands. Sometimes he had a hog's body
with a human head and limbs, sometimes a
hog's head rested on a human form, and some-
times he assumed the shape of a pig — quickly
reassuming the form of a man. Kalakaua's
legends say that he was a hairy man and culti-
vated the stiff hair by cutting it short so that
it stood out like bristles, and that he had his

KAMAPUAA LEGENDS 247

body tattooed so that it would have the appear-
ance of a hog. In place of the ordinary feather
cloak worn by chiefs he wore a pigskin with
its bristles on the outside and a pigskin girdle
around his waist.

The legends say that he was born at Kaluanui,
a part of the district of Hauula or Koolau coast of
the island Oahu. His reputed father was Olo-
pana, the high chief of that part of the island,
and his mother was Hina, the daughter of a chief
who had come from a foreign land. Other legends
say that his father was Kahikiula (The Red
Tahiti), a brother of Olopana. These brothers
had come to Oahu from foreign lands some time
before. Fornander always speaks of Olopana as
Kamapuaa's uncle, although he had taken Hina
as his wife.

The Koolauloa coast of Oahu lies as a lux-
uriant belt of ever-living foliage a mile or so in
width between an ocean of many colors and
dark beetling precipices of mountain walls
rising some thousands of feet among the clouds.

Frota these precipices which mark the land-
ward side of a mighty extinct crater come many
mountain streams leaping in cascades of spray
down into the quiet green valleys which quickly
broaden into the coral-reef-bordered seacoast.
From any place by the sea the outline of several
beautiful little valleys can be easily traced.

248 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

One morning while the sunlight of May looked
into the hidden recesses and crevices of these
valleys, bringing into sharp relief of shadow
and light the outcropping ledges, a little band
of Hawaiians and their white friends lay in the
shade of a great kamani-tree and talked about
the legends which were written in the rugged
rock masses of each valley, and in the quiet
pools of each rivulet. Where the httle party
lay was one of the sporting-places of Kamapuaa
the "pig-child treated in the legends as a demi-
god." Not far away one of the mountain streams
had broadened into a quiet bush-shaded lakelet
with deep fringes of grass around its borders.
Here the legendary pig-man with marvellous
powers had bathed from time to time. A narrow
gorge deep shadowed by the morning sun was
the place which Kamapuaa had miraculously
bridged for his followers when an enemy was
closely pursuing them. Several large stones on
the edges of the valleys were pointed out as
the monuments of various adventures. An
exquisitely formed little valley ran deep into
the mountain almost in front of the legend-tellers.
Far away in the upper end where the dark-green
foliage blended with still darker shadows the
sides of the valley narrowed until they were
only from sixty to seventy feet apart, and un-
scalable precipices bent toward each other,

KAMAPUAA LEGENDS 249

leaving only a narrow strip of sky above. On
the right of this valley is a branch-gorge down
which fierce storms have hurled torrents of
waters and mist. The upper end has been hol-
lowed and polished in the shape of a finely
rounded canoe of immense proportions. It
was from this that the valley has taken its name
Ka-liu-waa, possibly having the meaning, "the
leaky canoe." Some of the legends say that
this was Kamapuaa's canoe leaning against
the precipice and always leaking out the waters
which fell in it. Lying toward the west was a
very fertile and open tract of land, Kaluanui,
where Kamapuaa was said to have been born
by Hina. After his birth he was thrown away
by Kahiki-houna-kele, an older brother, and left
to die. After a time Hina, the mother, went
to a stream of clear, sweet water near her home
to bathe. After bathing she went to the place
where she had left her pa-u, or tapa dress, and
found a fine little pig lying on it. She picked
it up and found that it was a baby. She was
greatly alarmed, and gave the pig-child to
another son, Kekelaiaika, that he might care
for it, but the older brother stole the pig-child
and carried it away to a cave in which Hina's
mother lived. Her name was Kamaunuaniho.
The grandmother knew the pig-child at once
as her grandson endowed with marvellous

250 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

powers, and since the gods had given him the
form of a pig he should be called kama (child),
puaa (pig). Then she gave to the older brother
kapa quilts in which to place Kamapuaa. These
were made in layers, six sheets of kapa cloth
formed the under quilt for a bed and six sheets
the upper quilt for a cover. In these Kamapuaa
slept while his brother prepared taro and bread-
fruit for his food. Thus the wonderful pig ate
and slept usually in the form of a pig until
size and strength came to him. Then he became
mischievous and began to commit depredations
at night. He would root up the taro in the
fields of his neighbors, and especially in the field
of the high chief Olopana. Then he would carry
the taro home, root up ferns and grass until
he had good land and then plant the stolen taro.
Thus his grandmother and her retainers were
provided with growing taro, the source of which
they did not understand.

His elder brother prepared an oven in which
chickens were being cooked. Kamapuaa rooted
up the oven and stole the chickens. This
brother Kahiki-houna-kele caught the pig-child
and administered a sound whipping, advising
him to go away from home if he wanted to steal,
and especially to take what he wanted from
Olopana. Adopting this advice, Kamapuaa ex-
tended his raids to the home of the high chief.

KAMAPUAA LEGENDS 251

Here he found many chickens. Kamapuaa
quickly killed some, took them in his mouth
and threw many more on his back and ran home.
The morning came before he had gone far and
the people along the way saw the strange sight
and pursued him. By the use of charms taught
him by his sorceress-grandmother he made himself
run faster and faster until he had outstripped his
pursuer. Then he carried his load to his grand-
mother's cave and gave the chickens to the
family for a great feast.

Another time he stole the sacred rooster be-
longing to Olopana, as well as many other fowls.
The chief sent a large number of warriors after
him. They chased the man who had been seen
carrying the chickens. He fled by his grand-
mother's cave and threw the chickens inside,
then fled back up the hillside, revealing himself
to his pursuers. They watched him, but he dis-
appeared. He dropped down by the side of a
large stone. In this he seated himself and
watched the people as they ran through the
valley calling to each other. The high grass
was around the stone so that for a long time he
was concealed. For this reason this stone
still bears the name Pohaku-pee-o-Kamapuaa
(Kamapuaa 's hiding-place stone). After a
time a man who had climbed to the opposite
ridge cried out, "E, E, there he is sitting on

252 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

the great stone!" This man was turned mto a
stone by the magic of Kamapuaa. The pur-
suers hastened up the hillside and surrounded
the stone, but no man was there. There was a
fine black hog, which they recognized as the
wonderful pig belonging to Kamaunuaniho. So
they decided that this was the thief, and seized
it and carried it down the hill to give to the
high chief Olopana. After getting him down into
the valley they tried to drive him, but he would
not go. Then they sent into the forest for
ohia poles and made a large litter. It required
many men to carry this enormous pig, who made
himself very heavy.

Suddenly Kamapuaa heard his grandmother
calling: "Break the cords! Break the poles!
Break the strong men! Escape!" Making a
sudden turn on the litter, he broke it in pieces
and fell with it to the ground. Then he burst
the cords which bound him and attacked the
band of men whom he had permitted to capture
him. Some legends say that he killed and ate
many of them. Others say that he killed and
tore the people.

The wild life lived by Kamapuaa induced a large
band of rough lawless men to leave the service
of the various high chiefs and follow Kamapuaa
in his marauding expeditions. They made them-
selves the terror of the whole Koolau region.

KAMAPUAA LEGENDS 253

Olopana determined to destroy them, and sent
an army of four hundred warriors to uproot
Kamapuaa and his robbers. It was necessary
for them to hasten to their hiding-places, but
they were chased up into the hills imtil a deep
gorge faced them. No way of escape seemed
possible, but Kamapuaa, falling on the ground,
became a long pig — stretching out he increased
his length imtU he could reach from side to side
of the deep ravine — thus he became a bridge
over which his followers escaped.

Kamapuaa, however, was not able to make
himself small quickly enough to escape from his
enemies. He tried to hide himself in a hole and
puU dead branches and leaves over himself; but
they quickly foimd him, bound him securely,
and tied him to a great stone which with "the
stone of hiding" and "the watcher" are monu-
ments of the legends to this day.

The people succeeded in leading the pig-man
to Olopana's home, where they fastened him,
keeping him for a great feast, which they hoped
to have in a few days, but Kamapuaa, Samson-
like, broke all his bonds, destroyed many of
his captors — wantonly destroyed cocoanut-trees
and taro patches, and then went back to his
home.

He knew that Olopana would use every en-
deavor to compass his destruction. So he

a.'

254 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

called his followers together and led them up
Kaliuwaa Valley, stopping to get his grandmother
on the way. When he came to the end of the
valley, and the steep cliffs up which his people
could not possibly climb, he took his grandmother
on his neck and leaned back against the great
precipice. Stretching himself more and more,
and rubbing against the black rocks, at last he
lifted his grandmother to the top of the cliffs so
that she could step off on the uplands which
sloped down to the Pearl Harbor side of the
island. Then the servants and followers climbed
up the sides of the great pig by clinging to his
bristles and escaped. The hollow worn in the
rocks looked like a hewn-out canoe, and was
given the name Ka-waa-o-Kamapuaa (The canoe
of Kamapuaa). Kamapuaa then dammed up
the water of the beautiful stream by throwing his
body across it, and awaited the coming of
Olopana and his warriors.

An immense force had been sent out to destroy
him. In addition to the warriors who came by
land, a great fleet of canoes was sent along the
seashore to capture any boats in which Kama-
puaa and his people might try to escape.

The canoes gathered in and aroimd the mouth
of the stream which flowed from Kaliuwaa
Valley. The warriors began to march along the
stream up toward the deep gorge. Suddenly

KAMAPUAA LEGENDS 255

Kamapuaa broke the dam by leaping away from
the waters, and a great flood drowned the war-
riors, and dashed the canoes together, destroying
many and driving the rest far out to sea.
Uhakohi is said to be the place where this flood
occurred.

Then Kamapuaa permitted the people to
capture him. They went up the valley after
the waters had subsided and found nothing
left of Kamapuaa or his people except a small
black pig. They searched the valley thoroughly.
They found the canoe, tiu-ned to stone, leaning
against the precipice at the end of the gorge.
They ,said among themselves, "Escaped is
Kamapuaa with all his people, and ended are our
troubles."

They caught the pig and boimd it to carry to
Olopana. As they journeyed along the sea-
shore their burden became marvellously heavy
until at last an immense litter was required
resting on the shoulders of many men. It was
said that he sometimes tossed himself over to
one side, breaking it down and killing some
of the men who carried him . Then again he rolled
to the other side, bringing a like destruction.
Thus he brought trouble and death and a long,
weary journey to his captors, who soon learned
that their captive was the pig-man Kamapuaa.
They brought him to their king Olopana and

2S6 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

placed him in the temple enclosure where sacri-
fices to the gods were confined. This heiau was
in Kaneohe and was known as the heiau of Ka-
waewae. It was in the care of a priest known as
Lonoaohi.

Long, long before this capture Olopana had
discovered Kamapuaa and would not acknowl-
edge him as his son. The destruction of his
cocoanut-trees and taro patches had been the
cause of the first violent rupture between the
two. Kamapuaa had wantonly broken the walls
of Olopana's great fish-pond and set the fish
free, and then after three times raiding the fowls
around the grass houses had seized, killed and
eaten the sacred rooster which Olopana con-
sidered his household fetish.

When Olopana knew that Kamapuaa had been
captured and was lying bovmd in the temple
enclosure he sent orders that great care should
be taken lest he escape, and later he should be
placed on the altar of sacrifice before the great
gods.

Hina, it was said, could not bear the thought
that this child of hers, brutal and injurious as he
was, should suffer as a sacrifice. She was a very
high chiefess, and, like the Hinas throughout
Polynesia, was credited with divine powers.
She had great influence with the high priest
Lonoaohi and persuaded him to give Ka-

KAMAPUAA LEGENDS 257

mapuaa an opportunity to escape. This was
done by killing a black pig and smearing Ka-
mapuaa's body with the blood. Thus bearing
the appearance of death, he was laid unbound on
the altar. It was certain that unless detected
he could easily climb the temple wall and escape.

Olopana, the king, came to offer the chants and
prayers which belonged to such a sacrifice. He
as well as the high priest had temple duties,
and the privilege of serving at sacrifices of great
importance. As was his custom he came from
the altar repeating chants and prayers while
Kamapuaa lay before the images of the gods.
While he was performing the sacrificial rites,
Kamapuaa became angry, leaped from the altar,
changed himself into his own form, seized the
bone daggers used in dismembering the sacrifices,
and attacked Olopana, striking him again and
again, until he dropped on the floor of the temple
dead. The horrified priests had been powerless
to prevent the deed, nor did they think of
striking Kamapuaa down at once. In the con-
fusion he rushed from the temple, fled along the
coast to his well-known valleys, climbed the
steep precipices and rejoined his grandmother
and his followers.

Leading his band of rough robbers down
through the sandalwood forests of the Wahiawa
region, he crossed over the plains to the Waianae

2S8 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

Mountains. Here they settled for a time,
living in caves. Other lawless spirits joined them,
and they passed along the Ewa side of the island,
ravaging the land like a herd of swine. A part
of the island they conquered, making the in-
habitants their serfs.

Here on a spur of the Waianae Mountains they
built a residence for Kama-unu-aniho, and
established her as their priestess, or kahuna,
sorceress. They levied on the neighboring
farmers for whatever taro, sweet-potatoes and
bananas they needed. They compelled the
fishermen to bring tribute from the sea. They
surrounded their homes with pigs and chickens,
and in mere wantonness terrorized that part of
Oahu.

Kamapuaa on Oahu and Kauai

Fornander says that Kamapuaa was some-
times called "the eight-eyed" and was also
gifted with eight feet. He says, "This spe-
cialty of four faces or heads and of correspond-
ing limbs is peculiar to some of the principal
Hindoo deities." The honorary designation
of gods and even high chiefs in Hawaiian my-
thology was frequently maka-walu (eight-eyed),
to express their very great endowment of divine
powers. Fornander says that he notes "co-

RICE AND COCOANUT-TREES-AII-,A

KAMAPUAA LEGENDS 259

incidence as bearing upon the derivation of
Polynesian myths and legends. The Kamapuaa
stories, however, seem to have no counterpart
in any mythology beyond the borders of the
Hawaiian Islands."

While he Uved on the Koolau coast he was
simply a devastating, brutal monster, with
certain powers belonging to a demi-god, which
he used as maliciously as possible. After being
driven out to the Honolulu side of the mountains,
for a time he led his band of robbers in their
various expeditions, but after a time his miracu-
lous powers increased and he went forth ter-
rorizing the island from one end to the other.
He had the power of changing himself into any
kind of a fish. As a shark and as a pig he
was represented as sometimes eating those whom
he conquered in battle. He ravaged the fields
and chicken preserves of the different chiefs,
but it is said never stole or ate pigs or fish.

He wandered along the low lands from the
taro patches of Ewa to the cocoanut groves of
Waikiki, rooting up and destroying the food
of the people.

At Kamoiliili he saw two beautiful women
coming from the stream which flows from Manoa
Valley. He called to them, but when they saw
his tattooed body and rough clothing made from
pigskins they recognized him and fled. He pur-

26o LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

sued them, but they were counted as goddesses,
having come from divine foreign families as
well as Kamapuaa. ' They possessed miraculous
powers and vanished when he was ready to
place his hands upon them. They sank down
into the earth. Kamapuaa changed himself
into the form of a great pig and began to root
up the stones and soU and break his way through
the thick layer of petrified coral through which
they had disappeared. He first followed the
descent of the woman who had been nearest to
him. This place was the Honolulu side of
the present Kamoiliili church. Down he went
through soil and stone after her, but suddenly
a great flood of water burst upward through the
coral almost drowning him. The goddess had
stopped his pm-suit by turning an imderground
stream into the door which he had thrown open.
After this narrow escape Kamapuaa rushed
toward Manoa Valley to the place where he had
seen the other beautiful woman disappear.
Here also he rooted deep through earth and coral,
and here again a new spring of living water was
uncovered. He could do nothing against the
flood, which threatened his life. The goddesses
escaped and the two wells have supplied the
people of Kamoiliili for many generations, bear-
ing the name, "The wells, or foim tains, of
Kamapuaa."

KAMAPUAA LEGENDS 261

The chief of Waikiki had a luxuriant home
near the present residence of Governor Cleg-
hom, well suppUed with fine bananas and cocoa-
nuts as weU as taro. Night after night a great
black pig rushed through Waikiki destroying
all the ripening fruit and even going to the very
doors of the grass houses searching out the cala-
bashes filled with poi waiting for fermentation.
These calabashes he dashed to the groimd, defil-
ing their contents and breaking and imfitting
them for fiu-ther use. A crowd of warriors rushed
out to kill this devastating monster. They struck
him with clubs and hurled their spears against
his bristling sides. The stiff bristles deadened
the force of the blows of the clubs and turned
the spear-points aside so that he received but
Uttle injury. Meanwhile his fierce tusks were
destroying the warriors and his cruel jaws
were tearing their flesh and breaking their bones.
In a short time the few who were able to escape
fled from him. The chiefs gathered their war-
riors again and again, and after many battles
drove Kamapuaa from cave to cave and from
district to district. Finally he leaped into the
sea, changed himself into the form of a fish
and passed over the channel to Kauai.

He swam westward along the coast, selecting
a convenient place for landing, and when night
came, sending the people to their sleep, he went

262 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

ashore. He had marked the location of taro
and sugar-cane patches and could easily find them
in the night. Changing himself into a black
pig he devoured and trampled the sugar-cane,
rooted up taro and tore down calabashes, eating
the poi and breaking the wooden bowls. Then
he fled to a rough piece of land which he had
decided upon as his hiding-place.

The people were astonished at the devasta-
tion when they came from their houses next
morning. Only gods who were angry could
have wrought such havoc so unexpectedly,
therefore they sent sacrifices to the heiaus, that
the gods of their homes might protect them.
But the next night other fields were made
desolate as if a herd of swine had been wantonly
at work all through the night. After a time
watchmen were set around the fields and the
mighty pig was seen. The people were called.
They surrounded Kamapuaa, caught him and
tied him with strongest cords of olona fibre and
pulled him to one side, that on the new day so
soon to dawn they might build their oven and
roast him for a great feast.

When they thought all was finished the pig
suddenly burst his bonds, became invisible and
leaped upon them, tore them and killed them
as he had done on Oahu, then rushed away in
the darkness.

KAMAPUAA LEGENDS 263

Again some watchers found him lying at the
foot of a great precipice, sleeping in the day-
time. On the edge of the precipice were great
boulders, which they rolled down upon him, but
he was said to have allowed the stones to strike
him and fall shattered in pieces while he sus-
tained very little injury.

Then he assumed the form of a man and made
his home by a ledge of rock called Kipukai.
Here there was a spring of very sweet water,
which lay in the form of a placid pool of clear
depths, reflecting wonderfully whatever shadows
fell upon its surface. Here two beautiful sis-
ters were in the habit of coming with their
water-calabashes. While they stooped over the
water Kamapuaa came near and cast his shadow
as a man before them on the clear waters. They
both wanted the man who could cast such a
shadow as their husband. He revealed himself
to them and took them both to be his wives.
They lived with him at Kipukai and made fine
sleeping mats for him, cultivated food and pre-
pared it for him to eat. They pounded kapa
that he might be well clothed.

At that time there were factions on the island
of Kauai warring against each other. Fierce
hand-to-hand battles were waged and rich spoils
carried away.

With the coming of Kamapuaa to Kauai a new

264 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

and strange appearance wrought terror in the
hearts of the warriors whenever a battle occurred.
While the conflict was going on and blows were
freely given by both club and spear, suddenly
a massive war-club would be seen whistling
through the air, striking down the chiefs of both
parties. Mighty blows were struck by this
mysterious club. No hand could be seen hold-
ing it, no strong arm swinging it, and no chief
near it save those stricken by it. Dead and
dying warriors covered the ground in its path.
Sometimes when Kamapuaa had been caught in
his marauding expedition, he would escape from
the ropes tying him, change into a man, seize a
club, become invisible and destroy his captors.
He took from the fallen their rich feather war
cloaks, carried them to his dwelling-place and
concealed them under his mats. The people of
Kauai were terrified by the marvellous and power-
ful being who dwelt in their midst. They be-
lieved in the ability of kahunas, or priests, to
work all manner of evil in strange ways and there-
fore were sure that some priest was working with
evU spirits to compass their destruction. They
sought the strongest and most sacred of their own
kahunas, but were unable to meet the evil.
Meanwhile Kamapuaa, tired of the two wives,
began to make life miserable for them, trying
to make them angry, that he might have good

KAMAPUAA LEGENDS 265

excuse for killing them. They knew something
of his marvellous powers as a demi-god, and
watched him when he brought bundles to his
house and put them away. The chief's house
then as in later years was separated from the
houses of the women and was tabu to them, but
they waited until they had seen him go far away.
Then they searched his house and found the war
cloaks of their friends under his mats. They
hastened and told their friends, who plotted to
take vengeance on their enemy.

The women decided to try to drive the demi-
god away, so destroyed the spring of water from
which they had daily brought water for his wants.
They also carefully concealed all evidences of
other springs. Kamapuaa retiu-ned from his
adventures and was angry when he found no
water waiting for him. He called for the women,
but they had hidden themselves. He was very
thirsty. He rushed to the place of the spring,
but could not find it. He looked for water here
and there, but the sisters had woven mighty
spells over all the water-holes and he could not see
them. In his rage he rushed about like a blind
and crazy man. Then the sisters appeared and
ridiculed him. They taunted him with his failure
to overcome their wiles. They laughed at his
suffering. Then in his great anger he leaped
upon them, caught them and threw them over a

266 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

precipice. As they fell upon the ground he
uttered his powerful incantations and changed
them into two stones, which for many generations
have been guardians of that precipice. Then he
assumed the form of a pig and rooted deep in
the rocky soil. Soon he uncovered a fountain of
water from which he drank deeply, but which he
later made bitter and left as a mineral-spring to
the present day.

The people of Kauai now knew the secret of
the wonderful swinging war club. They knew
that a hand held it and an invisible man walked
beside it, so they fought against the power which
they could not see. They felt their clubs and
spears strike some solid body even when they
struck at the air. Courage came back to them
and they began to drive Kamapuaa away from
their homes.

He appeared sometimes as a pig again, de-
stroying their harvests of food. At Hanalei the
people drove him into a corner, and, carrying
stones, tried to fence him in, but he broke the
walls down, tore his way through the people and
fled. The high chief of Hanalei threw his magic
spear at him as he rushed past, but missed him.
The spear struck the mountain-side near the
summit and passed through, leaving a great hole
through which the sky on the other side of the
mountain can still be seen. Kamapuaa decided

KAMAPUAA LEGENDS 267

that he was tired of Kauai, therefore he ran to
the seashore, leaped into the water and, becoming
a fish, swam away to Hawaii.

Pele and Kamapitaa

The three great motmtains of Hawaii had
been built many centuries before Pele found
an abiding home in the pit of Kilauea. Ki-
lauea itseK appears rather as a shelter to which
she fled than as a house of her own building.
The sea waters quenched the fires built by her
at lower levels, forcing her up higher and higher
toward the mountains until she received refuge
in the maelstrom of eternal fire known for
centuries among the Hawaiians as Ka lua o Pele
(The pit of Pele), and now called "The old
faithful " — the boiling centre of the active pit of
fire. Some legends say that Kamapuaa drove
Pele from place to place by pouring in the sea
water.

The Kalakaua legends probably give the
correct idea of the growths of Pele-worship as
the goddess of volcanic fires when they say that
the Pele family of brave and venturesome high
chiefs with their followers settled imder the
shadows of the smoke-clouds from Kilauea
and were finally destroyed by some overwhelm-
ing eruption. And yet the destruction was so

268 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

spectacxilar, or at least so mysterious, that the
idea took firm root that Pele and her brothers
and sisters, instead of passing out of existence,
entered into the volcano to dwell there as living
spirits having the fires of the imder-world as
their continual heritage. From this home of fire
Pele and her sisters could come forth assuming
the forms in which they had been seen as human
beings. This power has been the cause of many
legends about Pele and her adventures with
various chiefs whom she at last overwhelmed
with boiling floods of lava tossed out of her
angry heart. In this way she appeared in
different parts of the island of Hawaii apparently
no longer having any fear of danger to her home
from incoming seas.

The last great battle between sea and fire was
connected with Pele as a fire-goddess and Ka-
mapuaa, the demi-god known as part pig and
part man. It is a curious legend in which human
and divine elements mingle like the changing
scenes of a dream. This naturally follows
the statement in some of the legends that Ku,
one of the highest gods among the Pol3niesians
as well as among the Hawaiians, was an ancestor
of Kamapuaa, protecting him and giving him
the traits of a demi-god. Kamapuaa had
passed through many adventures on the islands
of Oahu and Kauai, and had lived for a time on

KAMAPUAA LEGENDS i6g

Maui. He had, according to some of the legends,
developed his mysterious powers so that he
could become a fish at will as from his childhood
he had been able to become a hog. Sometimes
he was represented as leaping into the sea,
becoming a fish, diving down to great depth, and
swimming imtil he felt the approach of rising
land, then he would come to the surface, call out
the name of the island and land for a visit with
the inhabitants or dive again and pass on to an-
other island. Thus he is represented as passing
to Hawaii after his adventures on the islands of
Kauai and Oahu.

On Hawaii he entered into the sports of the
chiefs, gambling, boxing, surf-riding, rolling the
round ulu maika stone and riding the holua
sled. Here he learned about the wonderful
princess from the islands of the southern seas
who had made her home in the fountains of
fire.

Some of the legends say that he returned to
Oahu, gathered a company of adherents and
then visited the Pele family as a chief of high
rank, winning her as his bride and living with
her some time, then separating and dividing the
island of Hawaii between them, Pele taking the
southern part of the island as the scene for her
terrific eruptions, and Kamapuaa ruling over the
north, watering the land with gentle showers or

270 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

with melting snow, or sometimes with fierce
storms, until for many centuries fertile fields
have rewarded the toil of man.

The better legends send Kamapuaa alone to
the contest with the fire-goddess, winning her for
a time and then entering into a struggle in
which both lives were at stake.

It is said that one morning when the tops of
the mountains were painted by the sunlight from
the sea, and the shadows in the valley were
creeping under the leaves of the trees of the
forests, that Pele and her sisters went down
toward the hills of Puna. These sisters were
known as the Hiiakas, defined by Ellis, who
gives the first account of them, as "The cloud-
holders." Each one had a descriptive title,
thus — Hiiaka-noho-lani was "The heaven-dwell-
ing cloud-holder," Hiiaka-i-ka-poli-o-Pele was
"The cloud-holder in the bosom of Pele." There
were at least six Hiiakas, and some legends give
many more.

That morning they heard the sound of a drum
in the distance. It was the "tum," "turn,"
"tum" of a hula. Filled with curiosity they
turned aside to see what strangers had invaded
their territory. One of the sisters, looking over
the plain to a hill not far away, called out,
"What a handsome man!" and asked her sisters
to mark the finely formed athletic stranger who

KAMAPUAA LEGENDS 271

was dancing gloriously outlined in the splendor
of the morning light.

Pele scornfully looked and said she saw nothing
but a great pig-man, whom she would quickly
drive from her dominions. Then began the
usual war of words with which rival chiefs usually
attacked each other. Pele taunted Kamapuaa,
calling him a pig and ascribing to him the
characteristics belonging to a swine. Kama-
puaa became angry and called Pele "the woman
with red burning eyes," and "an angry fiery
heart," unfit to be called a chiefess. Then
Pele in her wrath stamped on the ground until
earthquakes shook the land around Kamapuaa
and a boiling stream of lava rolled down from
the mountains above. The stranger, throwing
around him the finest tapa, stood unmoved until
the flood of fire began to roll up the hill on which
he stood. Then raising his hands and uttering
the strongest incantations he called for heavy rains
to fall. Soon the lava became powerless in the
presence of the stranger. Then Pele tried her
magical powers to see if she could subdue this
stranger, but his invocations seemed to be stronger
than those falling from her lips, and she gave up
the attempt to destroy him. Pele was always a
cruel, revengeful goddess, sweeping away those
against whom her wrath might be kindled, even
if they were close friends of her household.

272 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

The sisters finally prevailed upon her to send
across to the hill inviting the stranger, who was
evidently a high chief, to come and visit them.
As the messenger started to bring the young man
to the sisters he stepped into the shadows, and
the messenger found nothing but a small pig
rooting among the ferns. This happened day
after day until Pele determined to know this
stranger chief who always succeeded in thoroughly
hiding himself, no matter how carefully the mes-
sengers might search. At last the chant of the
hula and the dance of the sisters on the smooth
pahoehoe of a great extinct lava bed led the
young man to approach. Pele revealed herself
in her rare and tempting beauty, calling with
sweetest voice for the stranger to come and
rest by her side while her sisters danced. Soon
Pele was overcome by the winning strength of
this great chief, and she decided to marry him.
So they dwelt together in great happiness for a
time, sometimes making their home in one part
of Puna and sometimes in another. The places
where they dwelt are pointed out even at this
day by the natives who know the traditions of
Puna.

But Kamapuaa had too many of the habits and
instincts of a pig to please Pele, besides she was
too quickly angry to suit the overbearing Kama-
puaa. Pele was never patient even with her

KAMAPUAA LEGENDS 273

sisters, so with Kamapuaa she woiild burst into
fiery rage, while taunts and bitter words were
freely hurled back and forth. Then Pele stamped
on the ground, the earth shook, cracks opened
in the surface and sometimes clouds of smoke
and steam arose around Kamapuaa. He was
unterrified and matched his divine powers
against hers. It was demi-god against demi-god-
dess. It was the goddess of fire of Hawaii against
the hog-god of Oahu. Pele's home life was
given up, the bitterness of strife swept over the
black sands of the seashore. When the earth
seemed ready to open its doors and pour out
mighty streams of flowing lava in the defence of
Pele, Kamapuaa called for the waters of the
ocean to rise. Then flood met fire and quenched
it. Pele was driven inland. Her former lover,
hastening after her and striving to overcome her,
followed her upward imtil at last amid clouds
of poisonous gases she went back into her spirit
home in the pit of Kilauea. Then Kamapuaa
as a god of the sea gathered the waters together
in great masses and hurled them into the firepit.
Violent explosions followed the inrush of waters.
The sides of the great crater were torn to pieces
by fierce earthquakes. Masses of fire expanded
the water into steam, and Pele gathered the
forces of the under-world to aid in driving back
Kamapuaa. The lavas rose in many lakes and

274 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

fountains. Rapidly the surface was cooled and
the fountains checked, but just as rapidly were
new openings made and new streams of fire hurled
at the demi-god of Oahu. It was a mighty battle
of the elements. The legends say that the
pig-man, Kamapuaa, poured water into the
crater until its fires were driven back to their
lowest depths and Pele was almost drowned by
the floods. The clouds of the skies had dropped
their burden of rain. All the waters of the sea
that Kamapuaa could collect had been poured
into the crater. Fornander gives a part of the
prayer of Kamapuaa against Pele. His appeal
was directly to the gods of water for assistance.
He cried for

. . . "The great storm douds of skie,''
while Pele prayed for

"The bright gods of the under- world,
The gods thick-clustered for Pele."

It was the duty of the Pele family to stir up
volcanic action, create explosions, hiurl lava into
the air, make earthquakes, blow out clouds of
flames and smoke and sulphurous-burdened
fumes against all enemies of Pele. Into the con-
flict against Kamapuaa rushed the gods of Po,
the under-world, armed with spears of flashing
fire, and hurling sling-stones of melted lava.
The storms of bursting gases and falling lavas

KAMAPUAA LEGENDS 275

were more than Kamapuaa could endure. Gasp-
ing for breath and overwhelmed with heat, he
found himself driven back. The legends say
that Pele and her sisters drank the waters, so
that after a time there was no check against the
uprising lava. The pit was filled and the streams
of fire flowed down upon Kamapuaa. He
changed his body into a kind of grass now
known as Ku-kae-puaa, and tried to stop the
flow of the lava. Apparently the grass repre-
sented the bristles covering his body when he
changed himself into a pig. Kamapuaa has
sometimes been called the Samson of Hawaiian
traditions, and it is possible that a Bibhcal idea
has crept into the modern versions of the story.
Delilah cut Samson's hair and he became weak.
The Hawaiian traditions say that, if Kamapuaa's
bristles could be biu-ned oS, he would lose his
power to cope with Pele's forces of fire. When
the grass lay in the pathway of the fire, the
lava was turned aside for a time, but Pele, in-
spired by the beginning of victory, called anew
upon the gods of the under-world for strong
reinforcements.

Out from the pits of Kilauea came vast masses
of lava piling up against the field of grass in its
pathway and soon the grass began to burn;
then Kamapuaa assumed agam the shape of a
man, the hair or bristles on his body were singed

276 LEGENDS OF HONOLULU

and the smart of many bums began to cause
agony. Down he rushed to the sea, but the
lava spread out on either side, cutting off retreat
along the beach. Pele followed close behind,
striving to overtake him before he could reach
the water. The side streams had reached the sea,
and the water was rapidly heated into tossing,
boihng waves. Pele threw great masses of lava
at Kamapuaa, striking and churning the sea into
which he leaped midst the swirling heated mass.
Kamapuaa gave up the battle, and, thoroughly
defeated, changed himself into a fish. To that
fish he gave the tough pigskin which he assumed
when roaming over the islands as the pig-man.
It was thick enough to stand the boiling waves
through which he swam out into the deep sea.
The Hawaiians say that this fish has always
been able to make a noise like the gnmting of a
small pig. To this pig-fish was given the name
" humu-hmnu-nuku-nuku-a-puaa."

It was said that Kamapuaa fled to foreign
lands, where he married a high chiefess and lived
with his family many years. At last the longing
for his home-land came over him irresistibly and
he returned appearing as a humu-humu in his
divine place among the Hawaiian fishes, but never
again taking to himself the form of a man.

Since this conflict with Kamapuaa, Pele has
never feared the powers of the sea. Again and

KAMAPVAA LEGENDS 277

again has she sent her lava streams over the
territory surrounding her firepit in the volcano
Kilauea, and has swept the seashore, even pour-
ing her lavas into the deep seas; but the ocean
has never retaliated by entering into another
conflict to destroy Pele and her servants. Ka-
mapuaa was the last who poured the sea into
the deep pit. The friends of Lohiau, a prince
from the island of Kauai, waged warfare with
Pele, tearing to pieces a part of the crater in
which she dwelt; but it was a conflict of land
forces, and in its entirety is one of the very
interesting tales handed down by Hawaiian
tradition.

Kamapuaa figured to the last days of Pele-
worship in the sacrifices offered to the fire-god-
dess. The most acceptable sacrifice to Pele was
supposed to be puaa (a pig) . If a pig could not be
secured when an offering was necessary, the
priest would take the fish humu-humu-nuku-
nuku-a-puaa and throw it into the pit of fire. If
the pig and the fish both failed, the priest would
offer any of the things into which, it was said in
their traditions, Kamapuaa could turn himself.

APPENDIX

PARTIAL LIST HAWAIIAN TERMS USED
(For Pronunciation see page x)

aa, 43-
ahakea, 313.
ahuula, 6r.
Aihualama, 120.
Aikanaka, 176-184.
Akuapehuale, 213-219, 205.
Akea, iz.
Alala, iSQ.
Alakea, 2, 4-
Anahola, 186.
Apuakehau, 177-
Atea, II.

aumakua, 64, 66, gg, 114, 216.
Au-Okoa, 55-
Avaiki, 13, 14.

awa, 2, 4, 34-361 49, S3, 109, no,
Z46.

bara, 12.

bread-fruit, 7. 23-29.
Beretania, 58.
Bishop Museum, 59.
Boki, 84.

calabash, 17. 36, 40, 45, 68-97, 262,

263.
canoe, 97, 119, 139, 151-156, 209,

229, 254.
coral, 57. 62, 97.
cocoanut, 29, 52, etc.

Ewa, 29, 177, 258.

eepa, 5-11, 62, 102, 106, 174.

Ehu, 66.

Elepaio, 100, 174. 233.

feather garments, 60, zi8, 221, 22g.

Hainoa, 108, 109.
Hakalaoa, 105.
hala, 24, 129, 206.
Halelea, 213.
Halemanu, 178, 200-203.
Halenoa, 168.
Hanalei, 266.
Hana, 188.

Hanapepe, 187.

hao, 3> 148.

hau, 122.

Hauula, 144, 145.

Haumea, 18, 24, 30, 47-49.

Hawaii, 3, etc.

Hawaiki, 12-22.

heiau, 6, 8,47, 51,90, 108, 142, 183,

256-262.
Hiiakapolio Pele, 270.
Hiiakas, 270.
Hiiakanoholani, 270.
Hilo, lis.
Hilu, 144.

Hina, 17, 69, 124, 125, 213, 256.
Hinai, 124, 125.
Hoahanau, 201.
Hoakola, 25.

Hono, 53. , „ „

Honolulu, 1-7. 23-59, 76, 83, IIS,

etc.
Honuaula, 37.
Honokaupu, 2-4, 52-54-
Honokahau, 56.
Honouliuli, 205-211, 224.
Hooloheloa, 78.
hula, 29, 179, 270.
humu humu nuku-nukua puaa, 277.

ieie, loi.

Ikaikaloa, 75, 77.
Ikuwa, 73-
Ikeloa, 76, 70-
Ilamuku, s.
iliahi, 67.
imu, 4, 202.
lo, 123.

ipukai, ig9> 201.
Iwa, 148-156-

Kaakau, 105, 106.
Euauhau, 121.
Kauahoa, 173-
Kaawaloa, in.
Kaehu, SSS^-
Eaena, 142, i59>

28o

APPENDIX

Kaeleha, 177, 186.
kahuna, 120, 145, 178, 258.
Kahiki, 6, 23, 28, 47, 75, q6, 106,

224, 250.
Kabano, 6.
Kahaukomo. 122.
Kahiko^ 15, 16.
Kabeiki, 94.
kahili, iS.
Kaohuwalu, 105.
Kahiki hounakele, 249, 250.
Kahuku, 142, 143.
Kahoolima, 176.
Kahala, 129.
Eahamaliiuii, 126, 160.
Kahehuna, 133.
Kabanaiake Akua, 5, loi.
Kahakaloa, 1S4, 185.
Kahilona, 92-96.
Kabikinui, 13S.
Kabooleina, 176.
Kahookane, 104.
Kiha^ loS-iio.
Kaihi Kapu, 53.
Kabakea, 106.
Kaipapau, 145.
Kaiwakalameba, 224.
Kakahee, 159.
Kakaolelo, 121.
Kakuhihewa, 1-8, 227-245.
Kakei, 118.
Kaili, 190.
Kailua, 50.
Kalibi^ 27-35.
Kalaniopuu, 121.
Kaiwakalameha, 224.
Kalo, 195.^

Kalebuawike, 56, 167.
Kalatuneke, 177.
Kalaau, Z07.
Kaloeokapalaoa, Z47.
Kaluanui, 247.
Kalokuna, 149.
Kaliuwaa. 249, 254.
Kalakaua, zii, 246, 267.
Kamaunuaniho, 258.
Kamakau, 1-37, 70-7S. i45-
kamani,

Kamoboalii, 30, 55.
Kamehaikana, 24, 29.
E^amehameba, 2-9, 29,36, izo, 1x3,

136, Z48, 190.
Kamapuaa, 30, 70-72, 246-277.
Kamalama, 174, 183.
Kamamo, 245.
Kamoiliili, S3, 259, 260.
Kamelou maKua, 158.
Kanaka, 76-81.

Kanaloa, 13-37. 61-71, I4S. 224-
Kane, 19, 32-37p 46-^i> 70-78, 145,

179, 224.
Kaneaki, 1S3.
Kaniaula, 212.
Kaneohe, 256.
Kaohuwalu, 105.
Kapahi, 150.
Kapuaaka, 171.
Kapanaka, 172.
Kapoula, 29.
Kapuni, 6, 105-107.
Kapuka, 35.
Kapupuu, 14S.
Kapaa, 218, 254.
Kapalaba, 135.
Kapalama, 205-21Z.
Kapa maluibi, 160.
kapa, 7, 59, 62-68, 82, 207, 229,

238, 250, 263. See tapa.
Kapo, 29, 30.
Kapoi, 135-137-
Kapili, Z23.
Kapupuu, 148.

Kauai, 3-7, 29-60, 1x7-119, 183.
Kaumakapili, 7, X04.
Kauwa, 3.
Kauaboa, 173-186.
Kauilani, 2xx, 212, 230, 240.
Kaupe, 93-96.
Kat^o, 204, 242.
Kauhola, xo5>
Kaububu, 193.
Kawaiabao, 3.
Kawaikini, 205, 215.
Ka-Wai-a-ke-Akua, 32, s^.
Kawelo, 7, 60, x74-x8o, 188.
Kawaewae, 256.
Kawalo, 193.
Kawaihae, 109.
Kamaile, 183.
Keabua, 204-242.
Keaka, 5.
Keaau, X49-152.
Kauanonoula, 4.
Keaotearoa, 2x.
Keaolewa, 206, 207, 219, 228,

240.
Keahua, 204-2x2.
Kealiiai, X98.
Keaubelemoa, 232, 340.
Kahiki, 6.
Kekuanaoa, 4.
Kekaihebee, 3.
Kekai o Mamala, 2, 52.
Kekelaiaika^ 249.
Kekaukukui, 3.
Kewalo, 3. 1* 37. "o. I33-

APPENDIX

281

Kiba, 108, X09, no.

Kihapu, 6, 105, no, z68.

kihei, 61.

Kikoo, 157.

Kipukai, 263.

Kilauea, 30, 115, 267, 273, 277.

Eilohaaa, 23.

Kinau, 8.

koa, 97, gS, 102, ig6.

Kohala, 37.

Koko, 2, 52, 142.

Kokoa, 195-199.

Koloa, 187.

Kona, 149-

konane, 2-8, 53, 54.

Kou, 2-8, 23, 51-54. loi.

Koawi Koawa, 217-228.

Koolau, 54, 107, 156, 203, 247.

Kukui, 86, 105, 123, 196.

Kuikaa, 187.

Kuokoa, 34, 55-62, 75.

Ku, 18, 20, 32, 34, 70-89.

Kukaoo, 131, 137.

kupua, 24, 29, 52, 93.

Kuula, 113.

Kualii, 132.

kuakuku, 68.

Kukanakohi, 137.

Kuna, 91.

Kuhooneenuu, 51*

Kuilioloa, 82-85-

Kukaepuaa, 275.

Kukeoloewa, 50.

Rukalaniehu, 182.

Kuleonui, 6.

Kupulupulu, 98.

Kulaokahua, 160.

Laahana, 65.
Laka, 29.
Lani, 19, 114.
Lanai, 136.
Langi, 18.
Lamhuli, 122.
Lauhala, 60, 67.
Laukona, 163.
Lauhuiki, 65.
Laukaieie, 212.
Lea, 100, 233.
Leahi, 112.
leho, 150, 151.
lehua, 31. 55. 167.
lei, 31, 208.
Lelehoomao, 25, 27.
Lepeamoa, 204-227.
Lihue, 93, 94-
Liloa, 153-
Liliha, 84.

Liliuokalam, in.

Lolo, 13-19, 32, 34, 70, 72, 256.

Lono, 13, 19, 72, 2IO.

Lua, 18.

lua, X2I.

Lualualei, 178.

maaloa, 64.

Mahu, 163.

inahiole, 61.

maika, 4, 9.

Maikoha, 7, 63-68.

maile, 206.

Mainele, 161-172.

Makapuu, 140, 150.

Makalei, 50.

maka walu, 25S.

Makea, 26.

makua, 114.

Makuakaumana, 61.

Makiki, 3, z6o, 166.

n\alo, loi, 182.

malolo, 177, 221.

Malailua, 122.

mamaki, 64.

Mamala, 2, 4, 52, 53.

Mamaloa, 75-81.

Manoa, 6, 8, 35, 36, 83-85, 127-

136, 166-172.
manu alala, 240.
mana, 51.
maoli, 59.
Maori, 19.
matea, 19.

Maui, 5,^50-56, 68, 172, 229, 230,
Mam-nxii, 229-243.
Mauilli, 187.
Mauna, 178.
mele, 54.

Menehunes, 6, 62, 90-93.
Milu, 114.
moaauha> 240.
Moana, 56, 58.
Moanalua, 95, 136.
Mokapu, 71.
moi, 115.

moo, 30, 52, I02, 104.
Mookahuna, 6. 96.
Molokaij 17, 18, 107, 117, 149-
Mololam, 71.
Mokuhalii, 100.
mu, 4.

Muleiula, 47.
Naulu, 184-
Namaka, 121-125.
Napihenui, 86.
Newa, 6,
niu, 67.

282

APPENDIX

Niolapa, 105.

Niihau, log, 136, 151.

Nini, 26, 27.

Nuuanu, 4-9, 32, 35. 76, 84, loi,

X2I.

Nuumehalani, 49, 54.

00, 37.

Oahu, 1-8, 18-35, 51-56. 7S-04> io2-

Ouha, 2, 4, 52, 54.

Oupe, 16.

ohia, 196-202.

O Lolo, IS-

Olopana, 47, 250, 251.

Owe, 74.

pa, 187.

Paapaaina, 99,

Pakaka, 8, 25, 26, 47, 51.

Pakaalana, 153.

Pakaaluna, 105, 106.

Pakuanui, j2i, 122.

pali, 30, 62, 122, 216.

pahee, 221.

Palama, 227.

pa-u, 60, 208, 234.

Pauoa, 90, 133.

Papa, n-30, 75-78.

Panapololei, 76, 79.

Pawaa, 158, 165, 170, 235.

Pearl Harbor, 55.

Pehu, 56, 57.

Pe!e, 30, 267-277.

Pele ula, 57.

Po, 17, 114.

Pohakuloa, 124.

poi, 17s.

Poki, 83-85.

poulu, 64.

Poll hale, 87.

pill. 133-

Pikoi, 157-171.

puaniu, 240.

Pueo, 129, 130, 131, 136.

Puehuehu, 23, 26.

Pupua, 109, 158.

Puna, 55, 128, 149, 152, 270, 272.

Punaaikoae, 26.

Puuhonua, 131.

Puuloa, 56.

Puiwa, 7, 63.

Puukume, 49.

Puukapu, 153.

Puuowaina, 4, 133.

Raa, 14.

Savaii, 12.
squid, 141, 152, 211.
stone axe, 28, 49, 153,
stone adzes, loi.
surf-riders, 53-56.
sling-stones, 116.

tabu, 5, 13, 23-29, 100, 109, 134,
144-154, 167-178, 220, 231, 262.

Tahiti, 6, 18, 38, 54, 64, 115, 138,
145- .

Tawhirn, 18-20.

tare, 24, 132, 133, 220, 262.

tapa, 109, 156, 161, 169, 240.

ti, 60, IIS, 177-

Teakeiaroe, 12.

Te Manawaroa, 12.

Ulakua, 3.
Ulumaika, 8.
Ulakoheo, 9.
Ulukou, 177.
ulua, 141-145.
Umi, 148-156.
Uhu, 180, 181.
Uhakohi, 255.

Vatea, 11, 15.
Van, 12, 13.

Wahiawa, 257.

Waikiki, 2,8, 53-58, 127-130.

Wailua, 173, 204, 213, 220.

wailua, 4.

Waialua, 194, 200.

waiola, ^8.

Waolani, s, 6, 106, 107, 130.

Waipio, 6, 47, 105-110, 153, 154.

Wakea, 16-19.

Waikahalulu, 23.

Waiamau, 34.

Waihee, 49.

Waihau, 51.

Waianae, 93, 195, 212.

Waimanu, 110.

Waimea, 118, 120, 125, 153-

Wailuku, 242.

Waiui, 212.

wauke, 7, 63, 65, 214.

Wohi, 28, 29.

Welaahilaninui, 72.

wiliwili, 223.

EXTRACTS AND PRESS NOTICES

■W. D. •WESTERVELT'S BOOKS

The following extract from a letter of Pres. S. Percy Smith,
of the New Zealand Polynesian Society, to Prof. Alexander
shows the interest taken by other parts of PoljTiesia in what-
ever historical work is being carried on by Hawaiian students.

He says: "I have been greatly interested in 'The Life of
Kamehameha' (now being prepared by Mr. Westervelt and
published in the Paradise of the Pacific). I notice with pleas-
ure that you and Mr. Westervelt are beginning to separate the
article from the noun in Hawaiian names. It does assist one
much in seeing the meaning, and aids comparison also."

"Mr. Westervelt specializes in historical stories of aboriginal
Hawaiian life. He takes a native legend, dresses it up in the
garb of civilization, commands it to look pleasant, and lo ! we
have a charming as well as instructive story.

"He was bom December 24, 1849, at Oberlin, Ohio, but is
now, and has been for many years, a resident of Honolulu,
much to that city's benefit." — Paradise of the Pacific, Dec. igii.

"Maui: The Demi-God" is the title of a new volume by
WiUiam Drake Westervelt, just from the press, which con-
tains a fine collection of old legends clustering around
Maui, but relating to aU Polynesia, as, to quote from the
preface: "There are three centres for these legends, New
Zealand in the south, Hawaii in the north, and the Tahitian
group including the Harvey Islands in the east.

"It is remarkable that these legends have kept their indi-
viduality, for the Polynesians have had no written language,
and picture-writing is rare, and yet in physical traits, customs,
and language, as well as in traditions, the different inhabitants
of these islands are as near of kin as the cousins of the United
States and Great Britain.

"The Maui legends form one of the strongest links in the
mythological chain of evidence which binds the scattered
inhabitants of the Pacific into one nation. Either complete
or partial Maui legends are found in Aneityum, Fakaofa, Efate,
Fiji, Fotuna, Gilbert, Hawaii, Hervey, Huahine, Mangaia,
Manihiki, Marquesas, Marshall, Nauru, New Hebrides, New
Zealand, Samoa, Savage, Tahiti, Tauna, Tokelau and Tonga. . . .

"This volume should prove of great value to all the Pacific

Extracts and Press Notices {continued).

Islanders and of great interest to those who travel there." —
The Bulletin, Honolulu, jqio.

"Mr. Westervelt has placed students of Polynesian history
under a deep debt of gratitude by collecting the various ver-
sions as handed down by the Polynesians all over the Pacific.
We are now, for the first time, in a position to deal compre-
hensively with the subject, and let us hope we shall be enabled
to throw a further ray of light on the history of this most in-
teresting people." — Extract from Foreword by S. Percy Smith,
F.R.G.S., of. New Zealand, Pres. Polynesian Society, to second
edition of "Maui," by W. D. Westervelt, brought out in Australia
in igii.

Mr. Westervelt, Pres. Hawaiian Historical Society, has re-
cently issued the important legends, many of which he has
translated from the Hawaiian, relating to Maui — the demi-god
not only of Hawaii, but of all Polynesia — in a volume, which
is of great interest both to students and to travellers.

Many of the legends give a clear insight into the occupa-
tions, and show flie poetic imagination which played over
these simple tasks, as in "Hina, the Woman in the Moon"
legend: Hina and her maidens pounded out the softest, finest
kapa cloth on the long, thick kapa board at the foot of Kauiki.
Incessantly the restless sea dashed its spray over the pictur-
esque groups of splintered lava rocks. Here Hina took the
leaves of the hala-tree and, after the manner of the Hawaiian
women of the ages past, braided mats for the household to
sleep on, and from the nuts of the kukui-trees made the
torches burned in the homes of high chiefs. And when wearied
by the struggles of life Hina decided to flee up the pathway
of her rainbow thro' the clouds, 'tis said "the Moon received
Hina and a child, and her tapa board and mallet, and when
the moon is in full splendor, they look for the goddess and
the tools with which she makes tapa clouds in the sky."

An interesting part of the mythical beginning of Hawaii says
that "a fisherman caught a large block of coral which he took
to his priest. After sacrificing the priest advised him to throw
the coral back into the sea with incantations. This bloci be-
came Hawaii-loa; and blocks of coral were caught and thrown
back till all the islands appeared. . . . This priest calls for his
companions, chanting:

* Here are the canoes. Get aboard.
Come along, and dwell on Hawaii with the green back.
A land which was found in the ocean,
A land thrown up from the sea.* "

— The Star, Honolulu, igio.